Question

Nylon is a material made by humans. A nylon factory released wastewater containing small pieces of nylon into a pond. Some bacteria in this pond were able to eat the nylon and use it for energy. These bacteria could do this because they had a protein that could break the nylon down. This protein had developed through a mutation and was not present in any other strain of bacteria.

Which of the following correctly explains the information?
A.
Some bacteria learned how to digest nylon, and other bacteria learned from them.
B.
Materials made by humans are useful to organisms and cause beneficial mutations.
C.
Bacteria have the ability to create new proteins to match their environment.
D.
The mutation resulted in a beneficial trait that enhanced survival, and offspring inherited it.

Answer 1

D

The bacteria acquired a random mutation that produced a new protein (enzyme) able to break down nylon. That mutation was beneficial in the nylon-contaminated pond, so bacteria with it had higher survival/reproduction and passed the trait to offspring. Options A and C imply learning or purposeful change; B wrongly implies the material caused directed beneficial mutations.