In the past, people sometimes put extracts containing rotenone into a river to poison the fish, allowing the fish to be more easily caught - VCE - SSCE Biology - Question 10 - 2015 - Paper 1
Question 10
In the past, people sometimes put extracts containing rotenone into a river to poison the fish, allowing the fish to be more easily caught. When rotenone-poisoned fi... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:In the past, people sometimes put extracts containing rotenone into a river to poison the fish, allowing the fish to be more easily caught - VCE - SSCE Biology - Question 10 - 2015 - Paper 1
Step 1
Rotenone is not absorbed through the cell membranes of people who have eaten poisoned fish.
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Answer
This statement suggests that humans have a different mechanism or structure in their cell membranes that prevents the absorption of rotenone, hence supporting the observation that no toxic effect occurs in people consuming poisoned fish. It implies that rotenone's toxicity is specific to fish, perhaps due to different metabolic pathways in humans.
Step 2
Rotenone is not absorbed by fish tissue and remains dissolved in water.
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Answer
This statement is incorrect as it contradicts the observed poisoning effect in fish. If rotenone were to remain dissolved in water and not absorbed by fish, then fish would not be poisoned.
Step 3
Human cell metabolism does not involve the electron transport chain.
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Answer
This statement is misleading. While it is true that human cells utilize an electron transport chain for metabolism, it doesn't directly explain why rotenone has no toxic effect, as rotenone typically affects organisms that rely on this pathway.
Step 4
Rotenone only affects organisms that respire anaerobically.
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This statement is inaccurate because rotenone primarily inhibits the mitochondrial respiration process in aerobic organisms, including fish. Therefore, it does not rightfully explain the lack of effect in humans.
