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Termites can survive on wood because they:
AProduce cellulase in their own salivary glands
BConvert cellulose into starch before eating it
CHost other organisms that secrete cellulases
DAbsorb glucose directly through the body wall
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: C. Host other organisms that secrete cellulases
1. Cellulose passes through most animals undigested because they lack the enzyme to break it.
2. Termites nonetheless extract energy from wood.
3. They can break down cellulose because of the presence of other organisms in their bodies.
4. Those organisms secrete cellulases, the enzymes that cleave cellulose.
5. The trap in option A is assuming the termite itself makes the enzyme.
_Source: OpenStax Biology for AP(R) Courses (CC BY 4.0), Ch 3 'Biological Macromolecules', sections 3.1-3.5_
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