MM
Mashaal Masha
Jan 12, 2024
Space scientists Anna-Lisa Paul, Stephen M. Elardo, and Robert Ferl planted seeds of Arabidopsis thaliana in samples of lunar regolith--the surface material of the Moon--and, serving as a control group, in terrestrial soil. They found that while all the seeds germinated, the roots of the regolith-grown plants were stunted compared with those in the control group. Moreover, unlike the plants in the control group, the regolith-grown plants exhibited red pigmentation, reduced leaf size, and inhibited growth rates--indicators of stress that were corroborated by postharvest molecular analysis.
Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?
Difficulty: Hard
A:
It describes an experiment that addressed an unresolved question about the extent to which lunar regolith resembles terrestrial soils.
B:
It compares two distinct methods of assessing indicators of stress in plants grown in a simulated lunar environment.
C:
It presents evidence in support of the hypothesis that seed germination in lunar habitats is an unattainable goal.
D:
It discusses the findings of a study that evaluated the effects of exposing a plant species to lunar soil conditions.
ID: 65a0d1fffdabd7bee8580ce6