Entry Exam Category: College Admission Exams
Course: Accuplacer
Exam: Accuplacer Reading Sample Questions Practice Test
Practice Question
Extract
Read the passage(s) below and answer the question based on what is stated or implied in the passage(s) and in any introductory material that may be provided.
Passage
Poison frogs become poisonous by isolating chemicals from their food and storing them in their skin. One such compound, epibatidine, is a stronger painkiller than morphine, but has not been tested in humans because even low doses are deadly to rodents. But for the frogs themselves, this powerful neurotoxin is totally impotent.
According to a study published in Science, several groups of epibatidine-bearing frogs have independently evolved amino acid changes in the toxin's target, the nicotinic acetylecholine receptor. These modifications allow the amphibians to escape self-toxicity.
Adapted from Abby Olena, "How Porson Frogs Avaid Poisoning Themselves. ©2017 by The Scientist
Passage
Poison frogs become poisonous by isolating chemicals from their food and storing them in their skin. One such compound, epibatidine, is a stronger painkiller than morphine, but has not been tested in humans because even low doses are deadly to rodents. But for the frogs themselves, this powerful neurotoxin is totally impotent.
According to a study published in Science, several groups of epibatidine-bearing frogs have independently evolved amino acid changes in the toxin's target, the nicotinic acetylecholine receptor. These modifications allow the amphibians to escape self-toxicity.
Adapted from Abby Olena, "How Porson Frogs Avaid Poisoning Themselves. ©2017 by The Scientist
The main idea of the passage is that some types of poison frogs
Answer Choices
- A: have developed the capacity to protect themselves from the poison they carry in their skin
- B: could eventually produce a natural pain relief option for people who suffer from headaches
- C: combine chemicals from their food to create a toxic substance that keeps them safe from predators
- D: can be grouped based on the changes they've made to their nicotinic acetylecholine receptors
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The passage centers on how poison frogs have evolved to avoid self-toxicity from the poisons they store, making this the main idea.