Difficulty: Easy
Correct Answer: Fungus
Explanation:
Introduction / Context:
This analogy question connects animals and organisms to their biological groups. The pair Porcupine : Rodent shows that a porcupine is a member of the rodent group of mammals. The second pair Mildew : ? requires us to identify the group to which mildew belongs. Understanding basic biological classification at a school level is enough to answer this type of analogy question accurately, and such items are common in general science based reasoning sections.
Given Data / Assumptions:
Concept / Approach:
The relationship is clearly organism to biological group. A porcupine is classified within the rodent order. Mildew is a type of fungus that grows on damp surfaces, plants, or organic materials and appears as a whitish or greyish coating. Among the options, Fungus is the proper biological group name. The words Pathogen and Germ are more general, describing disease causing agents and microscopic life, and Insect refers to a completely different animal group. Therefore, Mildew : Fungus completes the analogy in the same way as Porcupine : Rodent.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Identify the relationship in the first pair. Porcupine is an animal, and Rodent is its biological group.
Step 2: Conclude that the pattern is organism to its group or category.
Step 3: Recall that Mildew is a mould like growth commonly seen on plants, walls, or cloth under damp conditions.
Step 4: Recognise that Mildew is classified as a fungus.
Step 5: Check the options. Only Fungus names a specific biological kingdom that includes mildew.
Step 6: Select Fungus as the correct completion of the analogy.
Verification / Alternative check:
To verify, we can review common school examples. Fungi include mushrooms, moulds, and mildews. All are non green, spore producing organisms that often decompose organic matter. Mildew in particular is a surface fungus that thrives in damp conditions. Insect, on the other hand, refers to animals like ants, beetles, and butterflies. Pathogen is any agent that can cause disease, including certain bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites. Germ is a general term for a micro organism, often a harmful one. These do not specify the biological kingdom or group of mildew, whereas Fungus does so clearly.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Insect: Mildew is not an insect and does not have the features of insects such as segmented bodies, legs, or wings.
Pathogen: Although some forms of mildew can cause disease in plants, Pathogen is a broad functional description, not the taxonomic group to which mildew belongs.
Germ: Germ is a non technical term for small organisms, usually harmful ones. It does not identify the organism as part of the fungal kingdom.
Common Pitfalls:
Students sometimes confuse functional labels like Pathogen or Germ with taxonomic categories like Fungus or Rodent. The key in analogies is to maintain the same level of classification. Since Porcupine pairs with the group Rodent, the corresponding pair must be Mildew with its biological group, which is Fungus, not a general label. Keeping aware of whether a word names a group, an individual, or a function prevents such errors in similar questions.
Final Answer:
Porcupine is a Rodent, and in the same way Mildew belongs to the group Fungus.
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