Question

Pitcher plant traps insects because it

• A. Is a heterotroph.
• B. Grows in soils which lack nitrogen.
• C. Does not have chlorophyll.
• D. Has a digestive system like human beings.

Answer 1

The correct option is B

Grows in soils which lack nitrogen.

The correct option is B.
Explanation for the correct option:
Option B:

1. Pitcher plants grow in nitrogen-deficient soil and catch insects in a modified organ resembling a trap to provide them with the nitrogen and other nutrients they need to survive.
2. The dead insect in its trap supplies the nutrients necessary for the plant to operate normally.
3. Pitcher plants flourish on nitrogen-deficient soil.
4. Pitcher plants produce carbs through photosynthesis.
5. However, it captures and digests the insects as a supply of nitrogen.

Explanations for the incorrect options:
Option A:

1. Even though pitcher plants are fully capable of obtaining their nutrition through photosynthetic means, they are carnivorous plants.
2. Their environment of growth is the cause of such an adaptable disposition.
3. They alter their organs to make it easier for them to quickly capture their victim.

Option C:

1. The green, chlorophyll-containing plants, like pitcher plants, may perform photosynthesis to produce some of the necessary food on their own.
2. However, the soil in which they grow does not provide them with nitrogen.

Option D:

1. Pitcher plants are unique carnivorous plants with modified leaves called pitfall traps—a prey-trapping device with a deep chamber filled with digesting fluid.
2. With nectar, the plants draw in and suffocate their victim.

Final answer: Pitcher plant traps insects because it grows in soils that lack nitrogen.