Due will mark as brainliest if answered
explain why each answer is correct

1. cactus plants, which grow in deserts, have a thick waxy coating that prevent water loss. the plants’ sharp spines provide protection from predators. which of the following statements best explains why cactus plants evolved to have these traits?
a. the genes of individual cactus plants mutated to develop these traits.
b. individual cactus plants developed these traits to fill an environmental niche.
c. cactus plants with these traits were better able than other cactus plants to interbreed with invasive species.
d. cactus plants with these traits were better able than other cactus plants to survive and pass these traits on to their offspring.

2. prokaryotes are structurally simple organisms that have existed for over two billion years. which of the following are prokaryotes?
a. bacteria - answer
b. fungi
c. plants
d. protists

3. the fungus penicillium reproduces asexually and forms genetically identical spores. which of the following processes does penicillium use to form its spores?
a. fertilization
b. mitosis - answer
c. osmosis
d. transcription

4. the amount of water a plant has in its tissues is determined primarily by the balance of which of the following processes?
a. runoff and root absorption
b. respiration and photosynthesis
c. precipitation and photosynthesis
d. root absorption and transpiration - answer

5. which of the following statements describes the role of atp in animal cells?
a. atp stores and releases energy. - answer
b. atp forms the channels in the plasma membrane.
c. atp serves as the hereditary material in the nucleus.
d. atp attaches to and digests unneeded organic molecules.

6. which of the following structures are present in the prokaryotic cell?
a. protein coat
b. cell wall
c. vacuole
d. nucleus

7. cellular respiration, decomposition, combustion, and photosynthesis are processes that drive which of the following cycles in ecosystems?
a. the carbon cycle
b. the nitrogen cycle
c. the phosphorus cycle
d. the water cycle

9. which of the following roles do nitrogen fixing bacteria serve in the nitrogen cycle?
a. they concentrate nitrogen in the atmosphere.
b. they absorb nitrogen from the wastes of animals.
c. they convert nitrogen into a form that plants can use.
d. they release nitrogen from the bodies of decaying organisms.

10. in pea plants, the allele for purple flowers (p) is dominant to the allele for white flowers(p). a plant that is heterozygous for purple flowers is crossed with white flowers. what percentage of the offspring plants are expected to have purple flowers?
a. 25%
b. 50%
c. 75%
d. 100%