Problem 8

Question

Carnivorous plants are deficient in: a. oxygen. b.phosphorus. c. potassium. d. nitrogen. e. carbon.

Step-by-Step Solution

Verified
Answer
The right option is d. nitrogen.
1Step 1: Understand the biology of carnivorous plants
Carnivorous plants live in environments where the soils are poor in nutrients. To compensate for this, they have adapted different mechanisms such as trapping small animals and insects and digesting them to obtain the necessary nutrients.
2Step 2: Identify the crucial nutrient
Even though carnivorous plants take several nutrients from their prey, there is one nutrient that they are usually deficient in because it is scarce in their environments. This nutrient is what they primarily obtain from consuming animals and insects.
3Step 3: Choose the correct option
The nutrient that carnivorous plants are deficient in, which is typically found in the animals they consume, is nitrogen. So, the answer to this exercise is nitrogen (d).