What type of pesticide moves from the site of absorption in a treated plant or animal to other tissues?

• A. Contact
• B. Residual
• C. Selective
• D. Systemic

Answer: (D)

Systemic movement means the chemical is absorbed and then distributed throughout the plant or animal, reaching tissues away from where it entered. In plants, it travels through the vascular system to growing parts; in animals, it circulates in the bloodstream to reach internal tissues. This allows the pesticide to protect new growth and kill pests that feed on protected tissues, even if they aren’t directly in contact with the spray. Contact pesticides stay where they’re applied and act only on pests that touch them; residual pesticides leave a deposit at the application site and may persist there; selective refers to targeting specific pests or tissues, not how the chemical moves within the organism.