Environmental scientists have observed that certain wetland plants produce unusually high concentrations of a specific alkaloid compound. Research tea...
GMAT Information and Ideas : (Ideas) Questions
Environmental scientists have observed that certain wetland plants produce unusually high concentrations of a specific alkaloid compound. Research teams have proposed different explanations for this phenomenon, including soil mineral content, water pH levels, and symbiotic relationships with soil bacteria. While the exact mechanism remains unclear, scientists have consistently noted that these same plants, when grown in laboratory conditions or transplanted to different wetlands, fail to produce the alkaloid compound at comparable levels, suggesting that _______
Which choice most logically completes the text?
the alkaloid compound serves no biological function for the plants in their natural habitat.
laboratory conditions are insufficient for studying complex plant biochemistry processes.
the high alkaloid concentrations depend on specific environmental factors present in the original wetland locations.
the plants require several growing seasons to establish the biochemical processes needed for alkaloid production.
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "Environmental scientists have observed that certain wetland plants produce unusually high concentrations of a specific alkaloid compound." |
|
| "Research teams have proposed different explanations for this phenomenon, including soil mineral content, water pH levels, and symbiotic relationships with soil bacteria." |
|
| "While the exact mechanism remains unclear," |
|
| "scientists have consistently noted that these same plants, when grown in laboratory conditions or transplanted to different wetlands, fail to produce the alkaloid compound at comparable levels," |
|
| "suggesting that ______" |
|
Part B: Main Point and Argument Flow
Main Point: Scientists have observed that wetland plants produce high alkaloid concentrations, but these same plants fail to produce comparable levels when moved to different environments, leading to an important conclusion about what controls this phenomenon.
Argument Flow: The passage starts with an observed phenomenon, acknowledges that scientists have multiple theories to explain it, then presents crucial evidence showing that location matters significantly for alkaloid production, setting up a logical conclusion about environmental dependence.
Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely
This is a fill-in-the-blank question asking us to choose the best logical connector. The answer must create the right relationship between what comes before and after the blank.
Step 3: Prethink the Answer
- The key evidence is clear: these plants produce high alkaloid levels in their natural wetland homes, but when moved to labs or different wetlands, alkaloid production drops dramatically
- This location-dependency strongly suggests that something specific about the original wetland environment is crucial for alkaloid production
- The right answer should explain why location matters so much by connecting the high alkaloid production to something unique about the original wetland environment
the alkaloid compound serves no biological function for the plants in their natural habitat.
- This does not address the location-dependency evidence at all
- The passage focuses on production patterns, not function
laboratory conditions are insufficient for studying complex plant biochemistry processes.
- This misses the point about the biological phenomenon
- Both lab AND different wetland transplants failed, so it is not just about labs
the high alkaloid concentrations depend on specific environmental factors present in the original wetland locations.
- This directly explains why moving the plants causes alkaloid production to drop and matches our prethinking perfectly
the plants require several growing seasons to establish the biochemical processes needed for alkaloid production.
- This does not explain why location matters since time would not fix the location problem