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In the United States and Canada, bats use one of two strategies to survive winter. They either migrate south, or they hibernate. Recently, those that hibernate seem to have come under attack by a fungus, Geomyces destructans (Gd), an attack that is occurring from Missouri to New England, Canada, and even the state of Washington. Many infected bats have a delicate, white filamentous mat on their muzzles, which is referred to as white-nose syndrome (WNS). The fungus invades the bat tissues, causes discomfort, and awakens the bat from its hibernation. The bat fidgets and wastes calories, using up its stored fat. The bat then behaves abnormally, leaving its cave during daytime in winter to search for food. Their food, primarily insects, is scarce during the winter, and the bats ultimately starve to death. Since 2006, it is estimated that over six million bats have perished from WNS. The Gd mat on the fur of the bats should be expected to consist of ________.A) hyphae B) haustoria C) yeasts D) basidia

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Answer:

A) Hyphae

Step-by-step explanation:

According to question the infected have the following on their muzzles -

  • A fungus
  • Delicate and white filamentous mat

These indicate towards the Hyphae of fungus because the main body of fungus which is called Mycelium is made up of many branched structures. These branched structures are called Hyphae. Hyphae have ability to absorb nutrients for the fungus from environment or from the body of host organism. After absorbing the nutrients, it gets transferred to the main body of the fungus.

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