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Question #46876
The Question
A juvenile Periplaneta americana is experimentally treated with a potent ecdysone inhibitor. While the primary visible effect is the failure of apolysis and ecdysis, a severe secondary consequence leads to systemic starvation and death. Based on the anatomical constraints of the cockroach alimentary canal, which of the following best explains this starvation?
Options
- A.
The endodermal lining of the crop fails to shed, preventing the expansion required for the storage of masticated food.
- B.
The chitinous intima of the mesenteron is retained, blocking the secretion of digestive enzymes from the hepatic caeca.
- C.
The inability to shed the thick inner cuticle of the proventriculus causes mechanical obstruction, preventing food passage into the midgut.
- D.
The non-chitinous lining of the hindgut ruptures due to the accumulation of undigested food from the midgut.
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Correct Answer
Step-by-Step Solution
Explanation
How the Examiner Thinks
Regulatory_Failure
Understand how NOT, EXCEPT, and logical constraints are used to manipulate exam results.
Concepts Behind This Question
Proventriculus|Chitinous_Teeth|Ecdysone_Hormone
Why This Question Is Tricky
Common Mistakes
Conceptual Pivot: Students often memorize that the external exoskeleton is shed during moulting, but fail to synthesize that the foregut and hindgut, being ectodermal invaginations, also possess a chitinous cuticle that must be shed.
The trap relies on confusing the embryonic origins and histological linings of the three gut regions (Foregut/Hindgut = Ectodermal with cuticle; Midgut = Endodermal without cuticle).
Quick Facts About This Question
Question Information
| Subject | Biology |
| Chapter | Structural Organisation in Animals - Class 11 |
| Concept | Cockroach Alimentary Canal |
| Difficulty | 8 |
| Cognitive Load | 5 |
| Target Solve Time | 120 sec |
| Access | Free |