Question

The element molybdenum (Mo) is another micronutrient that can limit primary production in the oceans. If the researchers found the following results for additions of Mo, what would you conclude about its relative importance for growth?

Answer 1

The significantly higher growth observed with the addition of molybdenum in the presence of iron suggests that molybdenum plays a crucial role in supporting primary production in ocean ecosystems. This indicates that molybdenum is likely a limiting micronutrient, and its availability, particularly in conjunction with iron, is essential for optimizing the growth of marine organisms.

The results suggest that molybdenum (Mo) has a significant impact on the growth of primary producers in the ocean. Comparing the two experimental conditions:

1. N + p + Mo:

• Growth: 6.0

2. N + p + Fe + Mo:

• Growth: 72.0

The addition of molybdenum in the second condition (N + p + Fe + Mo) led to a much higher growth rate (72.0) compared to the condition without iron but with molybdenum (N + p + Mo, growth: 6.0). This indicates that molybdenum is likely a limiting factor for growth when iron is present.

In ocean ecosystems, the availability of certain micronutrients can be a limiting factor for primary production. In this case, the substantial increase in growth when both iron (Fe) and molybdenum (Mo) are added suggests that molybdenum plays a crucial role in supporting the growth of primary producers.

The addition of molybdenum in the presence of iron has a synergistic effect, implying that the two elements may work together to enhance the growth of marine organisms.

In summary, these results highlight the importance of molybdenum as a micronutrient that can significantly influence primary production in the oceans, particularly when other nutrients like iron are also present.

The complete question is given below:

INTERPRET THE DATA.

The element molybdenum (Mo) is another micronutrient that can limit primary production in the oceans. If the researchers found the following results for additions of Mo, what would you conclude about its relative importance for growth?

N + p + Mo 6.0

N + p + Fe + Mo 72.0

Answer 2

molybdenum (Mo) plays significant role in fostering growth primary production in the oceans.

Why is this correct?

In the first case, the addition of Nitrogen (N) and Phosphorus (P) along with Mo resulted in a primary production of 6.0 units.. Meanwhile, in the second scenario, where Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P), Iron (Fe), and Mo were added, the primary production surged significantly to 72.0 units.

From these findings:

Adding Mo alongside N and P (N + P + Mo) resulted in a moderate impact on primary production (6.0 units).

However, when Mo was part of a mix including other nutrients like Fe (N + P + Fe + Mo), there was a substantial boost in primary production (72.0 units).

This implies that Mo holds relative importance for growth. Its impact on primary production is noticeable, especially when combined with other nutrients such as Iron (Fe).

Hence, Mo appears to have a significant role in fostering growth, particularly when interacting synergistically with other elements or compounds.