Question

A Venus fly trap has a very low sensitivity threshold, yet it can tell the difference between the light touch of an insect and a drop of rainwater or wind. Make a claim proposing a mechanism for how the Venus fly trap can differentiate between a random stimulus and an actual prey.

a) The Venus fly trap responds to chemical cues released by prey.
b) The Venus fly trap uses temperature differences to detect prey.
c) The Venus fly trap distinguishes between the duration of touch.
d) The Venus fly trap measures the frequency of touch.

Answer 1

The Venus fly trap uses touch sensitivity to differentiate between a random stimulus and an actual prey.

Step-by-step explanation:

The Venus fly trap differentiates between a random stimulus and an actual prey through touch sensitivity. The trap has trigger hairs on the inside of its leaves, and when an insect brushes against these hairs and touches two or more of them in succession, the leaves close quickly, trapping the prey. This touch response is called thigmonastic response, and it allows the Venus fly trap to distinguish between a light touch of rainwater or wind and the touch of an insect.