The assimilation efficiency (AE) of an animal is the percentage of the total mass of food eaten that is absorbed into the body after digestion, rather than being lost as faeces.
Plant-eating insects (such as caterpillars) often have a lower assimilation efficiency than carnivorous insects (such as ladybirds). Explain why herbivores typically cannot digest and assimilate plant material very efficiently.
A cabbage white butterfly caterpillar consumes 75.0 g75.0\text{ g}75.0 g of cabbage leaf material and produces 42.0 g42.0\text{ g}42.0 g of faeces (frass). Calculate the assimilation efficiency (AE) of this caterpillar. Show your working.
