Question

Study statements (a - d) and select the two correct statements.
(a) A lion eating a deer and a sparrow feeding on grain are consumers.

(b) Predator starfish and Pisaster help in maintaining species diversity of some invertebrates.
(c) Predators ultimately lead to the extinction of prey species.
(d) Plant chemicals like nicotine and strychnine are produced due to metabolic disorders.

• A. c and d
• B. a and d
• C. a and b
• D. b and c

Answer 1

Answer: (C)

An ecosystem is made up of living and nonliving things. Living or biotic things include producers, consumers and decomposers. Producers are the photosynthetic organisms which can synthesize their own food. Consumers are organisms which cannot synthesize their own food. They feed upon either producers or other consumers. A lion eating a deer is a secondary consumer. A sparrow feeding on grain is a primary consumer. Predator is an organism which feed upon its prey. Predators such as starfish and Pisaster help in maintaining species diversity of some invertebrates. Predator cannot lead to the extinction of prey species because predator and prey evolve together. Plant chemicals such as nicotine and strychnine are not produced due metabolic disorders. These are just the metabolic wastes.

Thus, the correct answer is 'a and b.'