Question

A root parasite is ____
A. Loranthus
B. Rafflesia
C. Viscum
D. Cuscuta

Answer 1

A parasite is a heterotroph that depends on an organism called as lost for its nutrition. It uses the host's food in order to survive.

Complete answer:
Parasitic nutrition is the type of heterotrophic nutrition in which the organism cannot prepare its food naturally and depends on other organisms for its nutrition. Parasitic organism lives in association with its host and gets its food from its host by killing or without killing them. This phenomenon is called parasitism.
Let us look into options to find out the correct answer.
Option A: Loranthus is an example of a partial stem parasite and it depends on the host for water and minerals. It is seen to grow on the branches of woody trees.
Option B: Rafflesia is an example of total root parasite as it depends on the host for water and sugars. It belongs to the family Rafflesiaceae and they are a genus of parasitic flowering plants. They have enormous flowers and they are also an example of the world's largest flowers. Therefore, this is the correct option.
Option C: Viscum is a genus of mistletoes and is an example of partial stem parasite as it depends on the host for only water and minerals.
Option D: Cuscuta is an example of a complete stem parasite as it is dependent on the host for both sugar and water.

Therefore, the correct answer is option (B) Rafflesia.

Note: There are two types of parasites,
i) Endoparasite: When a parasite lives on the outer surface of the host body of the host body is called endoparasite
ii) Ectoparasite: When a parasite lives inside the body of the host is called endoparasite.