A colony of termites was exposed to an atmosphere of 100 percent oxygen for three days. The insects were not immediately harmed by the treatment, but the protozoa that lived in the termites' guts were eliminated. The treated termites continued to behave normally and to eat wood, but they began to starve after a short time. When the treated termites were instead fed wood contaminated with the feces of untreated termites, the treated termites regained the ability to digest wood and no longer starved. The best analysis of the results of the experiment is that
(A) infection with protozoa causes the termites to switch to fermentation
(B) cooperative interactions between the termites and the protozoa allow termites to extract energy from wood to survive
(C) the termite immune system eliminates protozoa from the gut
(D) termites digest protozoa as their main source of energy
Ans: (B) cooperative interactions between the termites and the protozoa allow termites to extract energy from wood to survive
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