Textbook Question
Why is it important for plants to exclude certain ions?
Summarize the difference between active and passive exclusion mechanisms.
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 11
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.
Verified step by step guidance1
Understand the relationship: The diving ants (Camponotus schmitzi) live on the fanged pitcher plant (Nepenthes bicalcarata) and consume nectar provided by the plant. They also dive into the plant's digestive juices to capture and consume trapped insects, leaving behind uneaten body parts and ant feces.
Analyze the nutritional contributions: The uneaten insect body parts and ant feces left behind by the diving ants are likely to decompose in the digestive juices of the pitcher plant. This decomposition releases nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus, which are essential for the plant's growth.
Consider the mutualistic relationship: The ants benefit from the plant by gaining a habitat and food source (nectar), while the plant benefits from the ants' activities, which enhance nutrient availability in the digestive fluid. This suggests a mutualistic relationship where both organisms gain advantages.
Predict the impact on plant growth: Based on the information provided, the presence of diving ants likely increases the availability of nutrients in the pitcher plant's digestive fluid. This enhanced nutrient availability could positively affect the overall growth and health of the pitcher plant.
Conclude the prediction: The diving ants likely have a beneficial nutritional impact on the fanged pitcher plant by contributing to the breakdown of prey and adding nutrients through their feces. This mutualistic relationship is expected to promote better growth and development of the pitcher plant.
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Key Concepts
Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.
Mutualism
Mutualism is a type of symbiotic relationship where both species involved benefit from the interaction. In the case of Nepenthes bicalcarata and Camponotus schmitzi, the ants gain food from the nectar, while the pitcher plant benefits from the ants' role in capturing and consuming trapped insects, which can enhance nutrient availability.
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Positive Interactions
Nutrient Cycling
Nutrient cycling refers to the movement and exchange of organic and inorganic matter back into the production of living matter. The diving ants contribute to nutrient cycling by consuming trapped insects and leaving behind body parts and feces, which can decompose and provide essential nutrients to the pitcher plant, potentially promoting its growth.
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Plant Growth Factors
Plant growth factors include various elements and conditions that influence plant development, such as nutrients, water, and light. The relationship with diving ants may enhance the availability of nitrogen and other nutrients through the decomposition of ant waste and insect remains, which could positively affect the overall growth and health of the fanged pitcher plant.
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Related Practice
Textbook Question
There is a conflict between van Helmont's data on willow tree growth and the data on essential nutrients listed in Table 36.1. According to the table, nutrients other than C, H, and O should make up about 4 percent of a willow tree's mass. Most or all of these nutrients should come from soil. But van Helmont claimed that the soil in his experiment lost just 60 g, while the tree gained 74,000 g. Calculate the percentage of the added mass accounted for by soil, and compare it to the predicted 4 percent. State at least one hypothesis to explain the conflict between expected and observed results. How would you test this hypothesis?
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.
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.
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?
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?