Question

"The Tasmanian devil is the largest surviving carnivorous marsupial in Australia. It is in danger of extinction due to an unusual type of cancer called Devil Facial Tumor Disease (DFTD). It can be passed from one individual to another through wounds that occur when they fight over food. Tumor cells in the mouth of an infected animal break off and enter the wound on an uninfected animal. The tumor cells multiply in the body of the newly infected devil, forming new tumors that eventually kill the animal.
Recent research has shown that the immune system of a Tasmanian devil accepts tumor cells from another devil as if they were cells from its own body. The tumor cells are ignored by the immune system. No immune response develops against them, and the cancerous cells multiply. Scientists predict that DFTD could wipe out all the remaining Tasmanian devils in 25 years, unless a treatment is developed.

Using the terms antigens and antibodies, explain why the tumor cells are ignored by the immune system in Tasmanian devils.
Describe one possible way to maintain a population of healthy, uninfected Tasmanian devils until a treatment or cure can be found"

Answer 1

One possible way to maintain a healthy population of uninfected Tasmanian Devils until some type of treatment can be found or even a cure will be to separate the baby animals while they are feeding from the mothers. Also moving the babies from the population to a zoo or a refuge will help to maintain the animals health.