Question

Terpenoids serve this purpose:

Select one:
a. Startle predators
b. they disrupt an animal's ability to digest a plant by interacting with enzymes and proteins
c. they taste bitter and thus serve to deter an animal from eating a plant
d. they are structural elements that make it hard for an animal to digest a plant
e. make an animal hard to see

Answer 1

Terpenoids act as a chemical defense in plants by making them taste bitter or disrupting an animal's digestive process, thereby deterring herbivory. The correct option is C.

Step-by-step explanation:

Terpenoids in plants serve the purpose of deterring animals from consuming them. These complex organic molecules can disrupt an animal's ability to digest a plant by interacting with digestive enzymes and proteins. These secondary metabolites, including terpenoids, can make the plant's tissues taste bitter or unpleasant, thus serving as a chemical defense mechanism.

Some plants, like the foxglove, produce compounds such as digitalis that are both toxic to animals and useful to humans as medication. These adaptations help plants survive by reducing the likelihood of being eaten by herbivores.