Concept explainers
Why might vascular plants have developed relationships with so many types of microorganisms? These molecular-level interactions show many similarities when microbe-plant and microbe-human interactions are considered. What does this suggest concerning possible common evolutionary relationships?
To determine: The possible reason for the development of relationships with many types of microorganisms by the vascular plants.
Introduction: Aquatic plants have evolved into terrestrial organisms with the help of soil microorganisms. This establishes a plant-microbe relationship. The interaction between plants and microbes may be beneficial for both or for only the microbes.
Explanation of Solution
Vascular plants are the plants that can absorb water through roots and then supply it to their different parts. Vascular plants have developed a relationship with different types of microorganisms as a means of survival. This association of plants with different types of microbes ensures that if one species of microbes perishes, the other microbial species is available to increase the uptake of nutrients and water by the plant.
To determine: The common evolutionary relationships suggested by the similarities in molecular level interactions in microbe-plant and microbe-human interactions.
Introduction: Aquatic plants have evolved into terrestrial organisms with the help of soil microorganisms. This establishes a plant-microbe relationship. The interaction between plants and microbes may be beneficial for both or for only the microbes.
Explanation of Solution
The molecular level plant-microbe and human-microbe interactions show some similarities. This similarity suggests a convergent evolution of these microbes, which means that different microbial species evolved from different ancestors, but they still shared common traits due to similar selection pressures.
Want to see more full solutions like this?
Chapter 31 Solutions
PRESCOTTS GENERAL MICROBIOLOGY
- Focusing just on the effects of temperature, would you expect the global distribution of C4 plants to expand or contract as Earth becomes warmer? Why?arrow_forwardwhat process can give plants an advantage because of the presence of these bacteria undergoing the following process can provide them with nitrogen for the production of protein? A. nitrifying B. denitrifying C. ammonification D. nirtogen fixingarrow_forwardSome endophytes produce compounds that fight bacteria, makingthem potential new sources of antibiotics. Describe an experimentalmethod that would allow you to screen endophytes for antibacterialactivity.arrow_forward
- The following figure depicts the outline of a large fairy ring that has appeared overnight in an open meadow, as viewed from above. The fairy ring represents the furthest advance of this mycelium through the soil. Locations A-D are all 0.5 metres below the soil surface. Which type of organisms made this structure (it wasn't a fairy!)? What is mycelium? Explain in one sentence each. Which location (A-D) most likely indicates the oldest part of this organism? Explain in 1-2 sentences.arrow_forwardBiologists have discovered that many mycorrhizal fungi are sensitive to a low pH. What human-caused environmental problem may prove catastrophic for these fungi? How may this problem affect their plant partners? What measures could we take to decrease the problem?arrow_forwardA scientist claims that the Presence of aquaporins is in chloroplast membrane support that Endosymbiotic theory?arrow_forward
- There are some plants such as Indian pipe and orchids that do not have chlorophyll, yet they are connected to the mycorrhizal web. What would you suspect their relationship to be?arrow_forwardAs with plant adaptations againstherbivores, other biological processes can involve multiple levelsof biological organization (Figure 1.3). Discuss examples ofspecialized photosynthetic adaptations involving modificationsat the molecular (Concept 10.4), tissue (Concept 36.4), andorganismal (Concept 36.1) levels.arrow_forwardWhy is this relationship between a plant and bacterium called a mutualism?arrow_forward
- Ecologists often attempt to introduce new plants to restore degraded land. In an arid climate, scientists recommend introducing plants with arbuscular mycorrhizae. How would the mycorrhizae increase the plants’ survival compared to plants without mycorrhizae?arrow_forwardWhat is greenhouse why is it harmful under ordinary circumstances?arrow_forwardSuppose you were a scientist living in the 1890s and were studying a disease of tobacco crops that stunted the growth of the plants and mottled their leaves. You find that the sap from a diseased plant, when added to a healthy plant, is capable of transmitting the disease to that plant. You examine the sap in the best light microscopes of the period and see no evidence of bacteria. You force the sap through filters whose pores are so small that they retard the passage of the smallest known bacteria, yet the fluid that passes through the filters is still able to transmit the disease. Like Dimitri Ivanovsky, who conducted these experiments more than a hundred years ago, you would probably conclude that the infectious agent was an unknown type of unusually small bacterium. What kinds of experiments might you perform today to test this hypothesis?arrow_forward
- Biology (MindTap Course List)BiologyISBN:9781337392938Author:Eldra Solomon, Charles Martin, Diana W. Martin, Linda R. BergPublisher:Cengage Learning