[Campbell Biology P.157] Which of the following statements about different types of vacuoles... | Practice Question

Which of the following statements about different types of vacuoles and their functions are correct?

  • A: Food vacuoles are formed by endocytosis and are primarily involved in storing nutrients for long periods.
  • B: Contractile vacuoles in freshwater protists help expel excess water to prevent cell lysis.
  • C: In plant cells, the central vacuole maintains turgor pressure and stores inorganic ions like potassium and chloride.
  • D: Some plant vacuoles contain pigments that deter herbivores due to their unpalatable nature.
  • E: Hydrolytic vacuoles in plants and fungi are functionally analogous to lysosomes in animal cells.

Explanation

Option B is correct as the text states, 'Many unicellular protists living in fresh water have contractile vacuoles that pump excess water out of the cell, thereby maintaining a suitable concentration of ions and molecules inside the cell'. Option C is correct; the text mentions the central vacuole containing 'cell sap... the plant cell's main repository of inorganic ions, including potassium and chloride' and playing 'a major role in the growth of plant cells, which enlarge as the vacuole absorbs water'. Option E is correct, as the text states, 'In plants and fungi, certain vacuoles carry out enzymatic hydrolysis, a function shared by lysosomes in animal cells. In fact, some biologists consider these hydrolytic vacuoles to be a type of lysosome. '