Question

You are studying a prokaryote that lives in the gut of a termite species. Compared to a free-living prokaryote living in a changing environment, how does your organism's genome differ?

1) It is larger in size
2) It contains more genes
3) It has a higher mutation rate
4) It is more resistant to environmental changes

Answer 1

Compared to a free-living prokaryote, the genome of the prokaryote living in the gut of a termite species may differ in size, gene count, and resistance to environmental changes.

Step-by-step explanation:

Compared to a free-living prokaryote living in a changing environment, the genome of the prokaryote that lives in the gut of a termite species may differ in several ways.

1. It is larger in size: The gut-dwelling prokaryote could have a larger genome size due to the presence of additional genes that are required for its specialized adaptations in the termite gut.
2. It contains more genes: The gut-dwelling prokaryote may have a larger gene count to carry out specific functions related to its lifestyle in the termite gut.
3. It is more resistant to environmental changes: The gut-dwelling prokaryote may have developed mechanisms to tolerate and adapt to the specific and relatively stable conditions of the termite gut, making it more resistant to environmental changes compared to a free-living prokaryote.