NEET 2026
- Exam
- NEET
- Year
- 2026
- Subject
- Biology
- Chapter
- Chapter
NEET 2026 · Biology · Chapter
Which of the following statements cannot be attributed to the...
Which of the following statements cannot be attributed to the ecological interaction of Parasitism?
Options
- AIt often drives co-evolution, where the host evolves mechanisms to reject the parasite and the parasite evolves to counteract them.
- BIt acts as nature's primary conduit for transferring energy fixed by autotrophs to higher trophic levels.
- CIt may render the host more vulnerable to other ecological pressures, such as predation, by making it physically weak.
- DIt generally reduces the survival, growth, and reproductive fitness of the host organism, thereby decreasing its population density.
Correct answer
B. It acts as nature's primary conduit for transferring energy fixed by autotrophs to higher trophic levels.
Step-by-step solution
Predation acts as nature's primary conduit for transferring energy fixed by plants (autotrophs) to higher trophic levels, not parasitism.
Parasitism is an interaction where one organism (parasite) benefits at the expense of the other (host). It often drives co-evolution between the host and the parasite. Parasites typically reduce the survival, growth, and reproductive fitness of the host, thereby decreasing its population density. They can also make the host physically weak, rendering it more vulnerable to other ecological pressures such as predation.
Therefore, the statement regarding the primary conduit for energy transfer is attributed to predation, not parasitism.
Answer: It acts as nature's primary conduit for transferring energy fixed by autotrophs to higher trophic levels.
Parasitism is an interaction where one organism (parasite) benefits at the expense of the other (host). It often drives co-evolution between the host and the parasite. Parasites typically reduce the survival, growth, and reproductive fitness of the host, thereby decreasing its population density. They can also make the host physically weak, rendering it more vulnerable to other ecological pressures such as predation.
Therefore, the statement regarding the primary conduit for energy transfer is attributed to predation, not parasitism.
Answer: It acts as nature's primary conduit for transferring energy fixed by autotrophs to higher trophic levels.