Question

Assertion (A): The driving force for passive absorption is non-metabolic in origin.

Reason (R): The driving force for active absorption is energy derived from metabolic processes.

Options

• Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.

• Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A.

• A is true but R is false.

• A is false but R is true.

Answer 1

Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A.

Explanation:

The assertion is true because passive absorption relies purely on physical forces like transpiration pull and concentration gradients, which are entirely non-metabolic. The reason is also true because active absorption is an uphill process that explicitly drives nutrients or water using chemical energy (ATP) derived from metabolic respiration. However, this is not the correct explanation of the assertion, as stating how active transport works does not define or explain the physical mechanism behind passive transport.