[Campbell Biology P.862] The text states that a specially trained chef must remove the poiso... | Practice Question

The text states that a specially trained chef must remove the poisonous parts of the puffer fish fugu . Given the mutualistic relationship between fugu and Vibrio bacteria, what is the most accurate reason for this culinary practice?

  • A: The chef needs to remove the *Vibrio* bacteria directly, as they are the poisonous agents.
  • B: The chef removes organs where the bacteria-synthesized tetrodotoxin accumulates, as the fish does not produce the toxin itself.
  • C: The chef removes the organs that produce the fish's own poison, which is amplified by bacterial activity.
  • D: The chef is preventing the mutualistic bacteria from spreading to other parts of the fish and becoming toxic after cooking.

Explanation

The text clearly states that puffer fish "contain lethal amounts of the nerve toxin tetrodotoxin in their organs, especially the liver, ovaries, and intestines." It then specifies that "The tetrodotoxin is synthesized by mutualistic bacteria various Vibrio species associated with the fish." Therefore, the chef must remove the organs where this bacterially synthesized toxin accumulates.