8. Farmers spray pesticides on their plants to protect the plants from being eaten by insects. Some individual insects have a genetic mutation that makes them resistant to the toxins in the pesticides. Which statement best describes how only a few resistant individuals resulted in the pesticide becoming ineffective? The resistant insects are able to survive to reproduce and create s population that is also resistant The resistant insects eat the contaminated surface and leave the rest for others. The resistant insects change the toxin on the plants, making it safe for others. The resistant insects grow larger and eat less of the plants

## Step 1<br />This problem is about the concept of natural selection and evolution. The scenario describes a situation where a population of insects is exposed to a pesticide. The pesticide is designed to kill all the insects, but some insects have a genetic mutation that makes them resistant to the pesticide.<br /><br />## Step 2<br />The resistant insects and continue to live and reproduce. This means that their resistance genes to their offspring.<br /><br />## Step 3<br />Over time, the population of resistant insects increases, while the population of non-resistant insects decreases. This is because the non-resistant insects are killed by the pesticide, while the resistant insects survive and reproduce.<br /><br />## Step 4<br />Eventually, the pesticide becomes ineffective because the majority of the insect population is now resistant to it. This is because the resistant insects have taken over the population, and the pesticide can no longer kill them.