Question

What is common for Cuscuta, ticks and leeches?

• A. They are all autotrophs
• B. They are all plants
• C. They are all parasites
• D. They are all animals

Answer 1

Answer: (C)

They are all parasites

Cuscuta, ticks, and leeches show the parasitic mode of nutrition. Cuscuta winds around plants and penetrates into the host stems via haustoria, forming direct connections to the vascular bundles of their hosts to withdraw water, carbohydrates, and other solutes. Ticks are large mites with leathery skin and in general, ticks are parasites of animals. All of them feed on vertebrate blood. Leeches are either predators (feeding on a variety of invertebrates) or blood-suckers (feeding on the blood of vertebrates).

Thus, the correct answer is option C.