Biologist Natacha Bodenhausen and colleagues analyzed the naturally occurring bacterial communities associated with leaves and roots of wild Arabidopsis thaliana, a small flowering plant. The researchers found many of the same bacterial genera in both the plants’ leaves and roots. To explain this, the researchers pointed to the general proximity of A. thaliana leaves to the ground and noted that rain splashing off soil could bring soil-based bacteria into contact with the leaves. Alternatively, the researchers noted that wind, which may be a source of bacteria in the aboveground portion of plants, could also bring bacteria to the soil and roots. Either explanation suggests that ______

Question

Biologist Natacha Bodenhausen and colleagues analyzed the naturally occurring bacterial communities associated with leaves and roots of wild Arabidopsis thaliana, a small flowering plant. The researchers found many of the same bacterial genera in both the plants’ leaves and roots. To explain this, the researchers pointed to the general proximity of A. thaliana leaves to the ground and noted that rain splashing off soil could bring soil-based bacteria into contact with the leaves. Alternatively, the researchers noted that wind, which may be a source of bacteria in the aboveground portion of plants, could also bring bacteria to the soil and roots. Either explanation suggests that ______
Which choice most logically completes the text?
Choose 1 answer:
Choose 1 answer:
(Choice A)   A. thaliana leaves and roots are especially vulnerable to harmful bacteria.
A
A. thaliana leaves and roots are especially vulnerable to harmful bacteria.
(Choice B)   bacteria carried by wind are typically less beneficial to A. thaliana than soil-based bacteria are.
B
bacteria carried by wind are typically less beneficial to A. thaliana than soil-based bacteria are.
(Choice C)   many bacteria in A. thaliana leaves may have been deposited by means other than rain.
C
many bacteria in A. thaliana leaves may have been deposited by means other than rain.
(Choice D)   some bacteria in A. thaliana leaves and roots may share a common source.
D
some bacteria in A. thaliana leaves and roots may share a common source.

GPT-4o mini · Answer

The most logical completion of the text is:

(Choice D) some bacteria in A. thaliana leaves and roots may share a common source.

This choice aptly summarizes the potential explanations provided by the researchers for the presence of similar bacterial genera in both the leaves and roots of the plants. It suggests a connection between the two locations due to similar sources of bacteria, consistent with the explanations given in the passage.