Brain Teasers
Terminated Termites
Rashad bought some termites and put them in a suitably ventilated jar. He gave them some leaves to eat that contain important elements termites need to live on. After some days he noticed that many were dying. Rashad was very sad. Can you help him by telling him what was wrong with his termites?
Hint
Second-Hand Food!Answer
Termites cannot digest the cellulose in plants themselves, so they get fungi to do it for them. They pile up pieces of leaves underground, and use this to grow fungi. The fungi digest and take in the plant food. The termites then eat pieces of the fungi, which they can easily digest. Rashad had no soil in his jar, thus fungi needed a lot of time to grow. Meanwhile the termites die because they had no cellulose.All this is a definition of the hint:
Second-Hand Food.
Hide Hint Show Hint Hide Answer Show Answer
What Next?
View a Similar Brain Teaser...
If you become a registered user you can vote on this brain teaser, keep track of which ones you have seen, and even make your own.
Solve a Puzzle
Comments
YES, i got this science teaser accepted! IF anything is wrong tell me as in science categories i might not be good.
This is true but not all termites do that. Some have microorganisms that live in their intestine that produce enzymes that break down the cellulose.
Thanks Curtiss for the new info, but my source says that all termites do that
Hmm... who would keep pet termites?
Anyways, I thought the answer was because Rashad did not give his termites water... poor termites... what am I saying??
Anyways, I thought the answer was because Rashad did not give his termites water... poor termites... what am I saying??
Rashad, do a quick internet search, it will only take you about a minute to figure out that I am right. I've probably looked at 15 different websites that describe how termites digest wood and all them said that termites have protazoa that live in their intestines that digest the wood for them. Only one website mentioned that some termites cultivate fungus.
The editors must have thought Rashad had checked all the facts about termites before he submitted this science teaser and that's why it was accepted.
And I thought the answer was termites eat WOOD!
Bear th
Sorry for the last post. Bear that's totally true. I can't just post my own science. It has to be prouved;. Here it is proved in one species. Lester Thanx for the corrections you made; this makes the teaser much better
Why would this ever be accepted? Who would know this obscure bit of information? I couldn't tell rashad what was wrong with his termites, but i could help him out: he needs a new hobby. It'll cheer him up.
It is so obscure, I couldn't find any references to fungus anywhere.
It is so obscure, I couldn't find any references to fungus anywhere.
I knew what he was talking about. Didnt you guys ever take Biology.
This teaser was used on The Breeze FM in Christchurch; New Zealand. Feel proud that you are reaching around the world.
Good teaser, I liked this one.
Not quite sure about the answer.
Not quite sure about the answer.
joegro01: I am in biology right now and i still didnt get it
I thought I had heard about them having organisms in their stomachs. Glad to see I'm not wrong about that. Interesting to note that huans do the same thing to digest lettuce.
Shandela , happy to help you
THE REASON WHY TERMITES DIED IS QUITE CONFUSING. BETTER YOU RULE OUT YOUR COFUSION FIRST AND THEN SUBMIT NEXT TEASER.
I think that this is preaty good but i can not say if it is right or not sorry.
curtiss, here's an internet search for you, look up annoying habits, you possess all of them.
urnot the smartest and you don;t know everything, and stop trying to make urself look good and other bad
urnot the smartest and you don;t know everything, and stop trying to make urself look good and other bad
No Water?
Fun and interesting teaser.
Aww, poor little guys.
To post a comment, please create an account and sign in.
Follow Braingle!