Concept explainers
Who’s the Pollinator? Massonia depressa is a low-growing succulent plant native to the desert of South Africa. The dull-colored flowers of this
A The dull petalless, ground-level flower of Massonia depressa are accessible to rodents, who push their heads through the stamens to reach the nectar at the bottom of floral cups. Note the pollen on the gerbil’s snout.
B Evidence of visits to M. depressa by rodents.
Mammals allowed access to plants | Mammals excluded from plants | |
Percent of plants that set fruit | 30.4 | 4.3 |
Average number of fruits per pant | 1.39 | 0.47 |
Average number of seeds per plant | 20.0 | 1.96 |
C Fruit and seed production of M. depressa with and without visits by mammals. Mammals were excluded from plants by wire cages with openings large enough for insects to pass through. Twenty-three plants were tested in each group.
FIGURE 29.7 Testing pollination of M. depressa by rodents.
How many rodents were captured? Of these, how many showed some evidence of ingesting M. depressa pollen?
To determine: The number of rodents captured.
Introduction: In the flowering plants, pollination is one of the necessary processes for sexual reproduction. Pollination involves the arrival of the pollen grains on a receptive stigma. Pollination takes place with the help of pollinating agents such as by wind or animal. Pollinators are the animal pollination vectors. The pollen, nectar, and other rewards are used by the plants to attract the pollinators. A plant called Massonia depressa is a low-growing moist plant that is commonly found in the semi-desert of South Africa. The leaves of these plants are sometimes maroon or green colored. The desert rodents such as gerbils are found to pollinate Massonia depressa plant.
Explanation of Solution
The environmental agents or animals are the pollination vectors, which help to transfer pollen from anther to stigma. As given in the data, Massonia depressa consists of dull-colored flowers with little petals, which usually grow at ground levels that are gathered together between the leaves. These petals have a tendency to release a yeasty aroma in order to make nectars. All adaptations in these flowers attract pollinators and rodents that help the flowers in pollination.
Refer Fig.29.7B, “Evidence of visits to M.depressa by rodents” in the textbook. The researchers believed that the gerbils, the desert rodents, pollinated this plant. In order to confirm this, they captured 13 rodents and checked for pollen on their snout and in the feces.
The number of rodents captured is 13.
To determine: The number of rodents that shows some evidence of ingesting Massonia depressa.
Introduction: A plant called Massonia depressa is a low-growing moist plant that is commonly found in the semi-desert of South Africa. The leaves of these plants are sometimes maroon or green colored. The desert rodents such as gerbils are found to pollinate Massonia depressa plant.
Explanation of Solution
The researchers observed that out of 13 rodents caught, seven of them had pollen on their snout. This sign suggested that the rodents pushed their heads through the stamens to arrive at the nectar. Also, out of the 13 rodents caught, nine of them had pollen in the feces. Some of the members of rodents also had both pollen on their snout and in their feces.
Want to see more full solutions like this?
Chapter 29 Solutions
Biology: The Unity and Diversity of Life (MindTap Course List)
Additional Science Textbook Solutions
Microbiology with Diseases by Body System (5th Edition)
Marine Biology (Botany, Zoology, Ecology and Evolution)
Human Anatomy (8th Edition)
Human Physiology
Brock Biology of Microorganisms (15th Edition)
Genetics: Analysis and Principles
- QUESTION 10 Which is true regarding plant reproduction? Self-pollination produces offspring genetically identical to the parent modified organs, such as corms and bulbs, are produced as a result of sexual reproduction cross-pollination allows plant populations to survive in unstable environments plants do not reproduce asexually vectors such as flies carry plant spores to new locationsarrow_forwardWatch the suggested videos for Plants Response to Stimuli. a. GeotropismGeotropism Experiment (2:48 minutes)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEo5UsPeB5gb. PhototropismPhototropism Experiment (2:16 minutes)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZ1NRP3OF5w a. For each experimental set up (geotropism and phototropism), identify the dependent and independent variables that have contributed to how plants responded to the stimuli.arrow_forwardEVOLUTION CONNECTION In general, light-sensitivegermination is more pronounced in small seeds compared withgermination of large seeds. Suggest a reason whyarrow_forward
- Question:- Explain how CO,-in dependence of light –regulates the transition to flowering. Include these transcription factors in your explanation: AP1, SOC1, CO, FT, LFY, FD.arrow_forwardhich option does gibberellin induce? fruits to ripen more than one of these to occur cell division in meristems plants to bend toward the light hydrolysis of starch in seedsarrow_forwardQuestion:- Which of the following is FALSE about fruit? A. Mature ovary B. Protect seeds and aid in dispersal C. Exposes the seeds D. Produced by flowering plantsarrow_forward
- 2) In this field of sunflowers, variation exists. Some flowers are tall, others short, and finally some plants are an intermediate height. The tallest plants shade the shorter; the taller plants are pollinated first. Over time, we might expect this field of sunflowers to be mostly tall. According to this scenario, we would classify the production of the sunflowers in what area of this Venn diagram?arrow_forwardWhos the Pollinator? Massonia depressa is a low-growing succulent plant native to the desert of South Africa. The dull-colored flowers of this monocot develop at ground level, have tiny petals, emit a yeasty aroma, and produce a thick, jellylike nectar. These trails led researchers to suspect that desert rodents such as gerbils pollinate this plant. The researchers trapped rodents in areas where M. depressa grows and checked them for pollen (FIGURE 29.7A,B). They also put some plants in wire cages that excluded mammals, but not insects, to see whether fruits and seeds would form in the absence of rodents (FIGURE 29.7C). A The dull petalless, ground-level flower of Massonia depressa are accessible to rodents, who push their heads through the stamens to reach the nectar at the bottom of floral cups. Note the pollen on the gerbils snout. B Evidence of visits to M. depressa by rodents. Mammals allowed access to plants Mammals excluded from plants Percent of plants that set fruit 30.4 4.3 Average number of fruits per pant 1.39 0.47 Average number of seeds per plant 20.0 1.96 C Fruit and seed production of M. depressa with and without visits by mammals. Mammals were excluded from plants by wire cages with openings large enough for insects to pass through. Twenty-three plants were tested in each group. FIGURE 29.7 Testing pollination of M. depressa by rodents. Would this evidence alone be sufficient to conclude that rodents are the main pollinators of this plant?arrow_forwardWhos the Pollinator? Massonia depressa is a low-growing succulent plant native to the desert of South Africa. The dull-colored flowers of this monocot develop at ground level, have tiny petals, emit a yeasty aroma, and produce a thick, jellylike nectar. These trails led researchers to suspect that desert rodents such as gerbils pollinate this plant. The researchers trapped rodents in areas where M. depressa grows and checked them for pollen (FIGURE 29.7A,B). They also put some plants in wire cages that excluded mammals, but not insects, to see whether fruits and seeds would form in the absence of rodents (FIGURE 29.7C). A The dull petalless, ground-level flower of Massonia depressa are accessible to rodents, who push their heads through the stamens to reach the nectar at the bottom of floral cups. Note the pollen on the gerbils snout. B Evidence of visits to M. depressa by rodents. Mammals allowed access to plants Mammals excluded from plants Percent of plants that set fruit 30.4 4.3 Average number of fruits per pant 1.39 0.47 Average number of seeds per plant 20.0 1.96 C Fruit and seed production of M. depressa with and without visits by mammals. Mammals were excluded from plants by wire cages with openings large enough for insects to pass through. Twenty-three plants were tested in each group. FIGURE 29.7 Testing pollination of M. depressa by rodents. How did the average number of seeds of produced by caged plants compare with that of control plants?arrow_forward
- Photoperiodism, when a plant responds to: A. In order to flower, long day plants need: B. In order to flower, short day planys need:arrow_forwardwhat are the flaws ? Plants reproduce in a pattern known as alternation of generations. A haploid gametophyte produces gametes through mitosis. The gametes fuse to form a zygote, which then grows into a diploid sporophyte. The sporophyte produces spores through meiosis, which then grow into a gametophyte and start the process over. Flowers are how angiosperms reproduce. A whorl of sepals (corolla) is at the base of the flower, followed by a whorl of petals (calyx). Inside the flower is a female organ known as a carpel and it is made of a stigma, style, and ovary. The male organ is the stamen and it is made of an anther and filament. Pollen being transferred to the style is known as pollination. Once the pollen travels down the style and reaches the egg, fertilization happens when sperm meets egg. Then, the fertilized egg and surrounding tissue develops into a seed. A seed is protected by a seed coat and contains endosperm and an embryo. The endosperm grows into a new plant while…arrow_forwardEXPERIMENT 4: INDUCTION OF CALLUS SOMATIC EMBRYOGENESIS OF HAPLOID PLANTS Objective: To prepare anther as a source of explant To induce callus somatic embryogenesis of haploid plants Procedure: Cut off the buds and sort them into 3 developmental stages based on length of buds Surface sterilize the buds in 70% ethanol for 2-3 minutes, making sure the entire bud is immersed in the alcohol. Drain off excess alcohol from the buds and aseptically excise the anthers from each bud. Remove the filaments and culture the anther on one of the agar media provided. Label the stage of development of the bud on each petri dish as the anthers are cultured. Seal the Petri dishes with parafilm. Incubate in the dark at 26 to 28ºC for 4 to 8 weeks or until small plants can be seen growing out of the anthers. Then transfer to diffuse light. Record the results of the experiment in table form and submit the report. Observation: The culture was contaminated after 8 weeks of incubation…arrow_forward
- Biology: The Unity and Diversity of Life (MindTap...BiologyISBN:9781337408332Author:Cecie Starr, Ralph Taggart, Christine Evers, Lisa StarrPublisher:Cengage LearningBiology: The Unity and Diversity of Life (MindTap...BiologyISBN:9781305073951Author:Cecie Starr, Ralph Taggart, Christine Evers, Lisa StarrPublisher:Cengage LearningBiology: The Dynamic Science (MindTap Course List)BiologyISBN:9781305389892Author:Peter J. Russell, Paul E. Hertz, Beverly McMillanPublisher:Cengage Learning
- Biology 2eBiologyISBN:9781947172517Author:Matthew Douglas, Jung Choi, Mary Ann ClarkPublisher:OpenStaxBiology (MindTap Course List)BiologyISBN:9781337392938Author:Eldra Solomon, Charles Martin, Diana W. Martin, Linda R. BergPublisher:Cengage Learning