Answer: They enhance plant nutrient uptake (especially P) and improve soil structure; used in agriculture.
- A They are sometimes mistakenly thought to cause widespread root-rot disease across most cultivated crop species
- B They enhance plant nutrient uptake (especially P) and improve soil structure; used in agriculture
- C They are sometimes mistakenly thought to survive mainly as saprophytic decomposers of dead plant litter
- D They are sometimes mistakenly thought to be uniformly pathogenic, damaging the root systems of host plants
Correct answer: B. They enhance plant nutrient uptake (especially P) and improve soil structure; used in agriculture
Explanation: Mycorrhizal fungi (ecto- and endomycorrhizae/arbuscular mycorrhizae) form mutualistic associations with ~90% of plant species. They dramatically increase phosphorus uptake, improve drought resistance, and are essential for forest ecosystems. Used as biofertilizers.
Plants evolved from water-dependent algae through increasingly land-adapted groups, gaining vascular tissue (Pteridophyta), then seeds (Gymnosperms), and finally fruit-enclosed seeds (Angiosperms) - each step reducing dependence on water for reproduction.
Concept context
Classification of plants from algae to angiosperms. Understanding plant diversity is essential for NEET.