Textbook Question
Design an experiment, using radioactive carbon and the heavy isotope of nitrogen (15N2), that would test whether the Rhizobia–pea plant interaction is mutualistic.
Ch. 36 - Plant Nutrition
Freeman8th EditionBiological ScienceISBN: 9780138276263
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Table of contents
- Ch. 1 - Biology: The Study of Life13
- Ch. 2 - Water and Carbon: The Chemical Basis of Life14
- Ch.3 - Protein Structure and Function10
- Ch.4 - Nucleic Acids and the RNA World10
- Ch. 5 - An Introduction to Carbohydrates10
- Ch. 6 - Lipids, Membranes, and the First Cells11
- Ch. 7 - Inside the Cell10
- Ch. 8 - Energy and Enzymes: An Introduction to Metabolism10
- Ch. 9 - Cellular Respiration and Fermentation11
- Ch. 10 - Photosynthesis12
- Ch. 11 - Cell-Cell Interactions12
- Ch. 12 - The Cell Cycle8
- Ch. 13 - Meiosis12
- Ch. 14 - Mendel and the Gene23
- Ch. 15 - DNA and the Gene: Synthesis and Repair15
- Ch. 16 - How Genes Work16
- Ch. 17 - Transcription, RNA Processing, and Translation16
- Ch. 18 - Control of Gene Expression in Bacteria16
- Ch. 19 - Control of Gene Expression in Eukaryotes12
- Ch. 20 - The Molecular Revolution: Biotechnology, Genomics, and New Frontiers15
- Ch. 21 - Genes, Development, and Evolution12
- Ch. 22 - Evolution by Natural Selection16
- Ch. 23 - Evolutionary Processes13
- Ch. 24 - Speciation15
- Ch. 25 - Phylogenies and the History of Life13
- Ch. 26 - Bacteria and Archaea15
- Ch. 27 - Diversification of Eukaryotes16
- Ch. 28 - Green Algae and Land Plants16
- Ch. 29 - Fungi18
- Ch. 30 - An Introduction to Animals9
- Ch. 31 - Protostome Animals15
- Ch. 32 - Deuterostome Animals17
- Ch. 33 - Viruses16
- Ch. 34 - Plant Form and Function16
- Ch. 35 - Water and Sugar Transport in Plants16
- Ch. 36 - Plant Nutrition13
- Ch. 37 - Plant Sensory Systems, Signals, and Responses16
- Ch. 38 - Flowering Plant Reproduction and Development16
- Ch. 39 - Animal Form and Function17
- Ch. 40 - Water and Electrolyte Balance in Animals16
- Ch. 41 - Animal Nutrition16
- Ch. 42 - Gas Exchange and Circulation16
- Ch. 43 - Animal Nervous Systems16
- Ch. 44 - Animal Sensory Systems16
- Ch. 45 - Animal Movement11
- Ch. 46 - Chemical Signals in Animals16
- Ch. 47 - Animal Reproduction and Development16
- Ch. 48 - The Immune System in Animals16
- Ch. 49 - An Introduction to Ecology15
- Ch. 50 - Behavioral Ecology16
- Ch. 51 - Population Ecology16
- Ch. 52 - Community Ecology20
- Ch. 53 - Ecosystems and Global Ecology17
- Ch. 54 - Biodiversity and Conservation Ecology18
Chapter 36, Problem 16e
The carnivorous plant Nepenthes bicalcarata ('fanged pitcher plant') has a unique relationship with a species of ant—Camponotus schmitzi ('diving ant'). The diving ants are not digested by the pitcher plants but instead live on the plants and consume nectar. Diving ants also dive into the digestive juices in the pitcher, swim to the bottom, and capture and consume trapped insects, leaving uneaten body parts and ant feces behind.
What nutritional impact do the ants have on fanged pitcher plants? Do the pitcher plants derive any nutritional benefit from this relationship?
Carnivorous plants and legumes (e.g., peas, soybeans) both absorb key nutrients directly from other organisms. How is nutrient acquisition in pitcher plants similar to that in legumes? How is it different?
Verified step by step guidance1
Understand the mutualistic relationship between Nepenthes bicalcarata and Camponotus schmitzi. The ants benefit by consuming nectar and trapped insects, while the plant benefits from the ants' activities.
Consider how the ants contribute to the nutritional intake of the pitcher plant. The ants leave uneaten insect parts and feces, which decompose and release nutrients that the plant can absorb.
Compare nutrient acquisition in pitcher plants and legumes. Both absorb nutrients directly from other organisms, but pitcher plants obtain nutrients from decomposed insect matter, while legumes often form symbiotic relationships with nitrogen-fixing bacteria.
Identify the differences in nutrient acquisition. Pitcher plants rely on trapped insects and the decomposition process, whereas legumes rely on symbiotic bacteria to convert atmospheric nitrogen into a form they can use.
Reflect on the ecological significance of these relationships. Both pitcher plants and legumes have adapted unique strategies to thrive in nutrient-poor environments, showcasing the diversity of plant survival mechanisms.
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Key Concepts
Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.
Mutualistic Relationships
Mutualistic relationships involve two species benefiting from each other. In the case of Nepenthes bicalcarata and Camponotus schmitzi, the ants provide the plant with nutrients from their waste and uneaten prey, while the plant offers nectar and a habitat. This symbiosis enhances the plant's nutrient acquisition, similar to how legumes form mutualistic relationships with nitrogen-fixing bacteria.
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Nutrient Acquisition in Carnivorous Plants
Carnivorous plants like Nepenthes bicalcarata obtain nutrients by digesting trapped insects. The digestive juices break down prey, allowing absorption of essential nutrients like nitrogen. The presence of ants enhances this process by breaking down prey further and contributing additional nutrients through their waste, optimizing the plant's nutrient intake.
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Nutrient Absorption in Legumes
Legumes acquire nutrients through symbiotic relationships with rhizobia bacteria, which fix atmospheric nitrogen into a form the plant can use. This process is similar to carnivorous plants absorbing nutrients from prey, but differs in that legumes rely on microbial activity in root nodules rather than digesting organisms. Both strategies highlight diverse adaptations for nutrient acquisition in plants.
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Related Practice
Textbook Question
The carnivorous plant Nepenthes bicalcarata ('fanged pitcher plant') has a unique relationship with a species of ant—Camponotus schmitzi ('diving ant'). The diving ants are not digested by the pitcher plants, but instead live on the plants and consume nectar. Diving ants also dive into the digestive juices in the pitcher, swim to the bottom, and capture and consume trapped insects, leaving uneaten body parts and ant feces behind. What nutritional impact do the ants have on fanged pitcher plants? Do the pitcher plants derive any nutritional benefit from this relationship? Based only on the information provided here, make a prediction on the effect of diving ants on overall pitcher plant growth.
Textbook Question
The carnivorous plant Nepenthes bicalcarata ('fanged pitcher plant') has a unique relationship with a species of ant—Camponotus schmitzi ('diving ant'). The diving ants are not digested by the pitcher plants, but instead live on the plants and consume nectar. Diving ants also dive into the digestive juices in the pitcher, swim to the bottom, and capture and consume trapped insects, leaving uneaten body parts and ant feces behind.
What nutritional impact do the ants have on fanged pitcher plants?
Do the pitcher plants derive any nutritional benefit from this relationship?
Nitrogen is a key nutrient often obtained by carnivorous plants from the insects they digest. Are the results presented here what would be expected if nitrogen is a limiting nutrient? Explain.