An aspirin may help your plants to prepare for a disease attack.

• A. Acetaminophen
• B. Aspirin
• C. Ibuprofen
• D. Penicillin

Answer: (B)

Plants can be prepared to resist disease by activating defense signaling pathways that involve salicylic acid. Aspirin is acetylsalicylic acid, and when it’s applied to plants it can release salicylic acid or mimic its action, priming the plant’s immune system so that a disease attack triggers defense responses more quickly and strongly. This priming, known as systemic acquired resistance, keeps defense genes and protective compounds ready to respond. That’s why aspirin is the best choice here—it acts as a chemical that stimulates the plant’s own defense signaling rather than directly attacking pathogens. The other substances don’t work this way: acetaminophen and ibuprofen are human medications with no known plant defense-priming effect, and penicillin targets bacteria rather than triggering plant defense pathways.