muskaansinha148 wrote:
can someone explain Q1 I was stuck between b and d?
Explanation
Q1). The phrase “clonal monoculture” (Highlighted) refers to which of the following?
Difficulty Level: Medium
Explanation
A clonal monoculture in this context refers to the fact that all the fungi in the attine ant gardens around the world are clones of a single source. This means that they are genetically identical and are reproducing asexually, without engaging in sexual reproduction. The ants maintain this clonal monoculture of the fungus by taking a sample of the fungus from the old nest to start a new garden when a queen ant establishes a new nest, thereby spreading the fungus vegetatively.
In the text, the concern is that a clonal monoculture, which is essentially a population of genetically identical organisms, would be highly susceptible to parasites. In this case, the fungus in the ant gardens is the clonal monoculture that is potentially at risk from parasitic attack by the Escovopsis mold. However, the ants have a defense mechanism in the form of an actinomycete bacterium that produces an antibiotic to protect the fungus from this parasite.
A) The Escovopsis mold is mentioned in the passage as a parasite that poses a serious threat to the fungus cultivated by the attine ants. This mold is not described as a "clonal monoculture" in the passage; it is a parasitic threat to the fungus. Therefore, option A is not the correct interpretation of the phrase "clonal monoculture."
B) This option is not directly related to the concept of a clonal monoculture. The text mentions that the attine ants cultivate the fungus, but it does not refer to them as a "clonal monoculture." Instead, the focus of the passage is on the fungus itself and its reproductive characteristics. Therefore, option B is not the correct interpretation of the phrase "clonal monoculture."
C) While the passage does discuss sexual reproduction as a more complex mechanism compared to asexual reproduction, it does not directly refer to it as a "clonal monoculture." The term "clonal monoculture" is used to describe the genetic makeup of the fungus, which is genetically identical and reproduces asexually. Therefore, option C is not the correct interpretation of the phrase "clonal monoculture."
D) The phrase "clonal monoculture" in the passage refers to the fungus cultivated by the attine ants. The text specifically mentions that the fungi in attine gardens around the world are clones of a single source, which means they are genetically identical and reproduce asexually. This is the correct interpretation of the phrase "clonal monoculture" in the context of the passage.
E) The antibiotic bacterium is mentioned in the passage as a defense mechanism that the attine ants use to protect their fungus from the Escovopsis mold. This bacterium is not described as a "clonal monoculture" in the passage. Therefore, option E is not the correct interpretation of the phrase "clonal monoculture."
In summary, the correct interpretation of the phrase "clonal monoculture" in the passage is option D) A fungus. It refers to the genetic makeup of the fungus cultivated by the attine ants, which is genetically identical and reproduces asexually.
Answer: D