What describes a systemic pesticide?

What describes a systemic pesticide?

• A. Absorbed into the organism.
• B. Absorbed and circulated within the plant or animal.
• C. Must touch pest.
• D. Creates a protective barrier on leaves.

Answer: (B)

Systemic pesticides are absorbed and circulated within the plant or animal. This means the chemical is taken up into the organism and then moves through its vascular system (like xylem and phloem in plants) or through body tissues in animals, reaching parts that aren’t directly sprayed. That internal movement allows the pesticide to affect pests that feed on or come into contact with various parts of the organism, even if those parts weren’t treated on the surface. This differs from options that describe pesticides needing direct contact with the pest, or that simply form a surface barrier. Absorbed into the organism is only part of the picture if there’s also movement through the organism to other tissues, which is what “systemic” emphasizes. A protective barrier on leaves describes a surface-only or barrier product, not one that’s moved internally. And requiring pest contact describes a non-systemic, contact-action pesticide.

Systemic pesticides are absorbed and circulated within the plant or animal. This means the chemical is taken up into the organism and then moves through its vascular system (like xylem and phloem in plants) or through body tissues in animals, reaching parts that aren’t directly sprayed. That internal movement allows the pesticide to affect pests that feed on or come into contact with various parts of the organism, even if those parts weren’t treated on the surface.

This differs from options that describe pesticides needing direct contact with the pest, or that simply form a surface barrier. Absorbed into the organism is only part of the picture if there’s also movement through the organism to other tissues, which is what “systemic” emphasizes. A protective barrier on leaves describes a surface-only or barrier product, not one that’s moved internally. And requiring pest contact describes a non-systemic, contact-action pesticide.