B) guidelines for safe laboratory practices and policies
The correct answer is option (D) store and release neurotransmitters.
The function of synaptic vesicles inside the axon terminals is to store and release the neurotransmitters. A synapse refers to the junction between the two neurons which transmit the nerve impulses by the diffusion of a neurotransmitter. Synaptic vesicles ar important for the transmission or the conduction of the nerve impulses as they store and release the neurotransmitters.
These neurotransmitters are the chemicals that transmit an impulse between two neurons or a neuromuscular junction. A neurotransmitter is released by the synaptic vesicle of one neuron into a region between the two neurons called the synapatic cleft. From here, it reaches the neurtransmitter receptors present on the target neuron, thus conducting the impulse. Examples of neurotransmitters include the epinephrine, histamine, acetylcholine and others.
Lets understand the given passage.
An ecologist <u>observes that the diet of a bird species consists primarily of large grass seeds</u> (as opposed to smaller grass seeds or the seeds of other herbaceous plants found in the area).
<u>He hypothesizes that the birds are choosing the larger seeds because they have a higher concentrations of nitrogen than do other types of seeds at the site</u><u>.</u>
<u>To test the hypothesis, the ecologist compares the large grass seeds with the other types of seeds, and the results clearly show that the large grass seeds do indeed have a much higher concentration of nitrogen.</u>
No, he cannot conclude that the birds select the larger grass seeds because of their higher concentrations of nitrogen. The hypothesis testing done by the ecologist is incomplete as he failed to set up a control in the experiment. The control would have been the birds feeding on large seeds that lack or are low on nitrogen content. This will establish a relation between the bird's diet and the size of the seeds and the nitrogen content of the seeds. It could be true that birds do not care about the nitrogen content but simply prefer larger seed sizes.
Another problem associated with his field experiment is the failure in noting the beak sizes of the birds. The beak size and shape enable a bird to break and eat seeds. Larger beaks fail at breaking open smaller seeds. This observation would add bird beak size as another variable of the experiment.
