Practicing Success

Target Exam

CUET

Subject

Biology

Chapter

Organisms and Populations

Question:

Select the correct pairs regarding to the defense system and related organism:

Organisms name
Defense system
a)  Insects and frogs Distasteful
b) Calotropis weed Poisonous
c) Acacia, Cactus Thorns
d) Monarch butterfly Camouflaged

 

Options:

a, d.

c, d.

a, b.

b, c.

Correct Answer:

b, c.

Explanation:

Prey species have evolved various defenses to lessen the impact of predation. Some species of insects and frogs are cryptically-coloured (camouflaged) to avoid being detected easily by the predator.

Some are poisonous and therefore avoided by the predators. The Monarch butterfly is highly distasteful to its predator (bird) because of a special chemical present in its body. Interestingly, the butterfly acquires this chemical during its caterpillar stage by feeding on a poisonous weed.

 Thorns (Acacia, Cactus) are the most common morphological means of defence. Many plants produce and store chemicals that make the herbivore sick when they are eaten, inhibit feeding or digestion, disrupt its reproduction or even kill it.

You must have seen the weed Calotropis growing in abandoned fields. The plant produces highly poisonous cardiac glycosides and that is why you never see any cattle or goats browsing on this plant.