Mary's mosquito bite is red, warm, and swollen, indicating she is experiencing the effects of:

• A. apoptosis
• B. an inflammatory response
• C. synaptic transmission
• D. cellular respiration

Answer: (B)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the context of the problem: Mary's mosquito bite is red, warm, and swollen. These symptoms suggest a localized reaction in her body to the mosquito bite.
2. Review the provided options: apoptosis, an inflammatory response, synaptic transmission, and cellular respiration. Each term represents a distinct biological process.
3. Define each term: Apoptosis is programmed cell death, which is unrelated to the symptoms described. An inflammatory response is the body's immune reaction to injury or infection, often characterized by redness, warmth, swelling, and pain. Synaptic transmission refers to the communication between neurons, which is unrelated to the symptoms. Cellular respiration is the process of producing energy in cells, also unrelated to the symptoms.
4. Match the symptoms to the correct biological process: Redness, warmth, and swelling are hallmark signs of an inflammatory response, which occurs when the immune system reacts to injury or infection by releasing signaling molecules like histamines to increase blood flow and recruit immune cells to the affected area.
5. Conclude that the correct answer is 'an inflammatory response' based on the alignment of the symptoms with the biological process described.