Toxoplasma

[Nov1907]

According to the passage, all of the following are true of Toxoplasma gondii EXCEPT
A. it can contaminate ground water
B. it enters the human body through the food chain
C. it can alter the usual behavior of human cells
D. the human body is incapable of detecting it
E. it must find a host cat in order to reproduce

The above is a question on the Toxoplasma Gondii Passage on my MGMAT. I thought C was the answer since I found human cells to be too general. The OA is D - Indicating severity of the word incapable. I know thwe answer would be clearer if Choice C stated human dendritic cells, but I guess it wouldnt be a 700-800 question anymore. How do you differentiate between such subtleties?

[StaceyKoprince]

First, don't eliminate something solely because it's general - correct RC answers are often pretty general. That's one of the reasons RC can be so frustrating.

The passage states that the T. gondii can alter the behavior of dendritic cells. Dendritic cells are a type of human cell. There's nothing incorrect, then, about stating that T. gondii can alter the behavior of human cells. It can. All human cells? No, but the answer doesn't say all cells.

"Incapable," on the other hand, means that the body absolutely cannot detect T. gondii. This information isn't in the passage. Yes, the passage says that T. gondii doesn't trigger the immune system, but that's not necessarily the same thing as not being detected. That could be one explanation - but it could also be that the body detects T. gondii but for some reason can't tell that T. gondii is bad. Or maybe there's some other explanation I haven't even thought of. I have no idea - the passage doesn't say.

[Nov1907]

I guess I mistook human cells to mean all cells instead of the general usage. Thanks for the explantion Stacey, the distinction is a clearer now.

[StaceyKoprince]

No problem!