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Difficulty: EasyLogical Inferences

Many species of clownfish rely on the stinging tentacles of sea anemones for protection from predators. In turn, the clownfish defend the anemones against butterflyfish, which eat anemone tentacles. A research team observed that anemones inhabited by clownfish exhibit significantly higher growth rates and faster tissue regeneration than those without resident clownfish. The researchers also noted that clownfish excrete ammonia, a primary source of nitrogen that anemones need to build new tissue. Since nitrogen is typically scarce in coral reef waters, these excretions likely serve as a vital fertilizer. Which choice most logically completes the text?

  1. have less access to essential nitrogen, resulting in slower growth and tissue regeneration.Answer
  2. B
    begin to excrete its own ammonia to synthesize the nitrogen needed for tissue growth.
  3. C
    develop alternative physical defenses to protect its tentacles from butterflyfish.
  4. D
    be the only source of food available to butterflyfish in the reef ecosystem.

Answer

have less access to essential nitrogen, resulting in slower growth and tissue regeneration.
The passage states that nitrogen is necessary for anemone tissue growth but is scarce in coral reef waters. It further establishes that resident clownfish supply this nitrogen through ammonia excretion, which accelerates anemone growth and regeneration. Therefore, if an anemone lacks resident clownfish, it will lack this supply of nitrogen, resulting in slower growth and tissue regeneration.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the key premises in the passage.
Anemones need nitrogen to build new tissue, but nitrogen is scarce in reef waters. Clownfish excrete ammonia, which serves as a vital nitrogen fertilizer for their host anemones. Consequently, anemones with clownfish grow and regenerate faster.
To build a logical connection, we must trace how the presence of clownfish directly affects the biological growth of the anemone.
2
Determine the logical consequence of the absence of clownfish.
Without clownfish, the anemone loses its primary, local source of nitrogen fertilizer.
Since nitrogen is scarce in the surrounding water, the lack of clownfish means the anemone will not get the nitrogen required for rapid tissue building.
3
Evaluate the choices to find the one that directly represents this consequence.
The correct answer states that the anemone will have less access to nitrogen, leading to slower growth and tissue regeneration.
This directly completes the chain of logic without adding external assumptions or misinterpreting the details of the passage.

Key Concept

Logical Inferences
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Logical Inferences

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