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Question #45190

Difficulty: 8/10 | 🟢 Free

The Question

A biotechnology facility utilizes transgenic animals to produce a specific biological product for treating emphysema. Following a severe containment breach, these transgenic animals escape into a fragile local ecosystem. They act as an alien species, rapidly proliferating and outcompeting an indigenous keystone species. The extinction of this indigenous species leads to a rapid collapse of the entire ecosystem. Which of the following correctly identifies the biological product and the ecological analogy that best describes this collapse?

Options

A.
The product is $\alpha$ -1-antitrypsin; the collapse illustrates the Rivet Popper hypothesis, where the extinct indigenous species represents a crucial 'rivet on the airplane wing'.
B.
The product is human $\alpha$ -lactalbumin; the collapse illustrates the Rivet Popper hypothesis, where the invasive transgenic species acts as a 'popped rivet'.
C.
The product is $\alpha$ -1-antitrypsin; the collapse illustrates the Competitive Exclusion Principle, where the ecosystem acts as the 'airplane' and the transgenic species as the 'rivet'.
D.
The product is human $\alpha$ -lactalbumin; the collapse illustrates Co-extinction, where the indigenous species and transgenic species share an obligate relationship.

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Correct Answer

Step-by-Step Solution

Explanation

How the Examiner Thinks

Evolutionary_Exception

Tackle problems where standard rules evolve or change based on specific environmental constraints.

Concepts Behind This Question

Alpha-1 Antitrypsin|Ecological Fitness (Darwinian Fitness)|Niche Overlap vs. Resource Partitioning

Why This Question Is Tricky

Common Mistakes

Conceptual Pivot: Integrating Biotechnology applications with Biodiversity conservation theories.

Students frequently confuse specific transgenic products ( $\alpha$ -1-antitrypsin vs $\alpha$ -lactalbumin) and misinterpret the components of the Rivet Popper analogy (failing to recognize that 'rivets' represent the native species holding the ecosystem together, not the invasive species added to it).

Quick Facts About This Question

Question Information

Subject	Biology
Chapter	Biotechnology and Its Applications - Class 12
Concept	Alpha-1 Antitrypsin
Difficulty	8
Cognitive Load	5
Target Solve Time	120 sec
Access	Free