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Filter-feeding bivalves can be used to monitor the environmental health of a habitat because:

A) the bivalves reproduce rapidly in polluted water
B) the bivalves concentrates pollutants microorganisms in their tissues
C) the bivalves live near deep-sea vents
D) some bivalves never get cancer

2007-05-27 15:08:38 · 5 answers · asked by thru_irish_eyes105 1 in Science & Mathematics Biology

5 answers

B...

2007-05-27 15:14:59 · answer #1 · answered by ATP-Man 7 · 2 0

Think about the term "filter feeder."

What does a filter do? It cleans up stuff. Thus, if you looked at what was in the filter, you'd see what was wrong.

Mussels and oysters are common examples of bivalve filter-feeders. There's a program called Mussel Watch that monitors the levels of many pollutants by sampling mussel tissue from around the world at various intervals.

A is wrong - bivalves take a long time to reproduce in the first place. Pollution = makes it bad for the organism.
C is wrong. Some mussels do live under high pressures near hydrothermal vents - pretty remarkable. But you've seen lots of mussels on pier poles, right?
D is wrong. Some sharks never get cancer.

B is correct, sort of. I'm not sure what the "microorganisms" is doing in that statement. Many pollutants build up in the tissues of bivalves. Think about it: they can't move from the pollution. Most filter feeders are connected to their environment via byssal threads and remain sessile (non-motile) for their adult lives. Thus, they have no choice but to take in the pollution in the water, as they feed by running water over their gills and consuming small particles (zooplankton, etc).

2007-05-27 22:35:49 · answer #2 · answered by Sci Fi Insomniac 6 · 0 0

This is a process of elimination question, no answer other than B makes any sense. By concentrating the polluted microorganisms in the bivalve's tissue, you can tell the relative density of pollution in that area.

2007-05-27 22:27:25 · answer #3 · answered by Tha Nurd 3 · 1 0

B is the most likely option.

2007-05-27 22:13:16 · answer #4 · answered by pinkbeagle 4 · 0 0

(B)

2007-05-27 22:13:28 · answer #5 · answered by Orinoco 7 · 0 0

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