Which of the following would be the best question to guide an investigation that would help determine if the lichen is alive?

Question

(1 point)
Responses

A. Are cells present in the lichen?
A. Are cells present in the lichen?

B. Are atoms present in the lichen?
B. Are atoms present in the lichen?

C. Can you see the molecules in the lichen? Or how much mass does the lichen have?
C. Can you see the molecules in the lichen? Or how much mass does the lichen have?

D. Does the lichen change color?

Answer 1

The best question to guide an investigation that would help determine if the lichen is alive is:

D. Does the lichen change color?

This question can indicate metabolic activity, which is a characteristic of living organisms. Changes in color may suggest responses to environmental conditions, which is often a sign of life. In contrast, questions A and B address the presence of cells or atoms, which does not inherently indicate life, and question C deals with molecules and mass, which are not definitive indicators of life either.