Question

A graduate student finds an organism in a pond and thinks it is a freshwater sponge. A postdoctoral student thinks it looks more like an aquatic fungus. How can they decide whether it is an animal or a fungus?

A) See if it reproduces sexually.
B) Determine whether it is unicellular or multicellular.
C) Look for cell walls under a microscope.
D) See if it is a eukaryote or prokaryote.

Answer 1

C) Look for cell walls under a microscope.

Step-by-step explanation:

It can be decided wheter it is an animal or a fungus by looking for cell walls under microscope.

As the animal cells lack cell wall ( outer membrane is just the cell membrane ) while the fungal cells contain a proper cell wall (surrounding their cell membrane )containing chitin.

Hence C) Look for cell walls under a microscope is the right option.

As both the cells reproduce sexually , option A is excluded.

Both the animal and the fungal cells are multicellular , option B is also excluded.

Both of these organisms are eukaryotes , hence option D is also excluded.