Organisms and Populations Question 30
30. Secondary metabolites such as nicotine, strychnine and caffeine are produced by plants for their
[2020]
(a) Growth response
(b) Defence action
(c) Effect on reproduction
(d) Nutritive value
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Answer : b
Hints & Solutions
(b) A wide variety of chemical substances that we extract from plants on a commercial scale (nicotine, caffeine, quinine, strychnine, opium, etc) are produced by them (plants) as defences against grazers and browsers. Strychnine is a highly toxic, colorless, bitter, crystalline alkaloid used as a pesticide, particularly for killing small vertebrates such as birds and rodents.
