Question

the main, or central, idea of the passage is minots liver cure experiment led to the discovery that a condition called pernicious anemia involves the inability to absorb vitamin b₁₂. how does the detail in bold develop the main idea? in the 1920s, george minot was searching for a cure for pernicious anemia, a then - fatal disease characterized by the bodys inability to produce enough red blood cells. minot began experimenting with feeding large amounts of beef liver to his patients—up to half a pound per day. incredibly, the diet produced marked improvements. why the medical miracle? as revealed by later research, liver contains high levels of vitamin b₁₂, which is essential for the production of red blood cells. people with pernicious anemia lack a glycoprotein called intrinsic factor, which helps the body absorb vitamin b₁₂ in the small intestine. as a result, their red blood cell numbers drop. because minots patients could absorb only a tiny percentage of the vitamin b₁₂ in their food, they had to ingest large amounts of liver in order to survive. today, people with pernicious anemia are prescribed b₁₂ injections so that they no longer have to rely on the \liver cure.\ it identifies the science behind minots liver cure. it compares minots solution with more modern cures. it contrasts minots hypothesis with his later discovery.

Explanation:

The bold - faced detail explains that liver contains high levels of vitamin B₁₂ which is essential for red - blood - cell production and that people with pernicious anemia lack the intrinsic factor to absorb it. This details the scientific reason behind why the liver cure worked for Minot's patients. It does not compare with modern cures or contrast hypothesis and discovery.

Answer:

It identifies the science behind Minot's liver cure.