Question

Insects captured by carnivorous plants partially meet their requirements of
a. Organic matter
b. Enzymes
c. Water
d. Nitrogen

Answer 1

Hint: Carnivorous plants are plants that derive some or most of their nutrients by trapping and consuming animals or protozoans, typically insects and other arthropods. Carnivorous plants grow where the soil is thin or lacks nutrients.

Complete answer:
These plants are found in damp, swamps, muddy and sandy shores where water is abundant and because these plants are known to grow in soils that are thin, acidic, and lack nutrients, the requirement of nitrogen is fulfilled by consuming other animals.

Modes of trapping:
• Pitfall traps have rolled leaves containing digestive enzymes or bacteria e.g. Pitcher plant
• Mucilage ( flypaper traps) e.g. Sundew
• Rapid leaf movement (snap traps) are hinged leaves that snap shut when trigger hairs are touched. e.g. Venus flytrap ( Dionaea muscipula)
• Bladder traps : highly modified leaves in the shape of a bladder with a hinged door lined with trigger hairs e.g. Utricularia or bladderworts
• Lobster-pot traps are twisted tubular channels lined with hairs and glands. e.g. Genlisea violacea

Hence, the correct answer is option (D).

Additional information:
These traps can be active or passive depending on whether movement is required to capture the trap.
• In order to be known as a carnivorous plant, the plant must exhibit certain traits for attracting, capturing and digesting its prey.
• It must have the ability to derive nutrients from its prey and portray fitness gains either through increased growth and pollen or seed production

Note: The adaptation of trapping and digesting prey has arisen at least nine times in different plant families in response to soil lacking the nutrients nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. The largest carnivorous plant is Borneo’s Nepenthes rajah, whose beyond-Big Gulp-size pitcher can hold more than a half-gallon of fluid.