Answer: Many pathogenic fungi are parasitic in humans and are known to cause diseases of humans and other animals. In humans, parasitic fungi most commonly enter the body through a wound in the epidermis (skin). Such wounds may be insect punctures or accidentally inflicted scratches, cuts, or bruises. One example of a fungus that causes disease in humans is Claviceps purpurea, the cause of ergotism (also known as St. Anthony’s fire), a disease that was prevalent in northern Europe in the Middle Ages, particularly in regions of high rye-bread consumption. The wind carries the fungal spores of ergot to the flowers of the rye, where the spores germinate, infect and destroy the ovaries of the plant, and replace them with masses of microscopic threads cemented together into a hard fungal structure shaped like a rye kernel but considerably larger and darker. This structure, called an ergot, contains a number of poisonous organic compounds called alkaloids. A mature head of rye may carry several ergots in addition to noninfected kernels. When the grain is harvested, much of the ergot falls to the ground, but some remains on the plants and is mixed with the grain. Although modern grain-cleaning and milling methods have practically eliminated the disease, the contaminated flour may end up in bread and other food products if the ergot is not removed before milling. In addition, the ergot that falls to the ground may be consumed by cattle turned out to graze in rye fields after harvest. Cattle that consume enough ergot may suffer abortion of fetuses or death. In the spring, when the rye is in bloom, the ergot remaining on the ground produces tiny, black, mushroom-shaped bodies that expel large numbers of spores, thus starting a new series of infections.
Answer:
C, a decrease in metabolic activity
Explanation:
In times of drought, there would be a reduction in the metabolic activity of an organism.
- Most organisms found in very dry climates have adaptation to accommodate a period of drought.
- Water is essential for the metabolic processes in an organism.
- A deficiency of water will reduce these life activities.
- The organism can become inactive as a result of this.
Wind power:
Advantages:
-Using wind as a source of power is very cost-effective. This is method is fuel free and the electricity harvested from wind farms is sold at a fixed price over a long period of time.
-Wind power is a clean fuel source. Using wind as a source of power prevents air pollution unlike power plants that mostly rely on fossil fuels which releases toxins into the hair causing both environmental and health problems.
-Wind power is a sustainable source of power since nothing can really stop it from being produced. Since this source of power relies on air, as long as there is air, energy can be harvested.
Disadvantages:
-Wind turbines are usually built in rural areas due to the size of them and the amount of space needed to build them. Because of this, they aren’t usually close to cities or remote locations where the energy harvested from them is most needed.
-Wind turbines can harmfully impact nature. Because of their height and size, many birds and other flying animals end up getting killed by the spinning blades connected to the turbine.
-Locations to build wind turbines may be hard to get due to competition with other things that may be of more importance on the land compared to wind farms.
