naked mole-rats - 2025 PACE NSC

Question

This species gains cancer resistance from a sugar that stops cells from clumping into tumors. For 10 points each:

[10m] Name these earless mammals that do not feel pain from acid because they lack substance P. This East African species and a related "Damaraland" one are the only eusocial mammals.

ANSWER: naked mole-rats [or Heterocephalus glaber or Heterocephalus glaber or sand puppy; prompt on mole-rat or Heterocephalus] (The genus name alone is acceptable because the genus is monotypic.)

[10h] Naked mole-rats produce large amounts of the "high molecular weight" form of this polymer. This non-sulfated glycosaminoglycan is broken down by a namesake enzyme that sperm cells release during the acrosome reaction.

ANSWER: hyaluronic acid [or hyaluronan; accept high molecular weight hyaluronic acid; prompt on "HA" instead of "hyaluronic acid"]

[10e] Naked mole-rats respond to cancer malignancy by increasing metabolism of this monosaccharide that is named for its abundance in fruit.

ANSWER: fructose [prompt on fruit sugar]

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Data

Team	Opponent	Part 1	Part 2	Part 3	Total
Alabama Cyber Tech	Lindbergh	0	0	10	10
Carl Sandburg	Great Valley	10	0	10	20
Carmel A	Barrington	0	0	10	10
Centennial B	Carmel B	10	10	10	30
Chattahoochee A	Thomas Jefferson B	0	0	10	10
Detroit Catholic Central A	Westwood	0	0	10	10
Detroit Catholic Central B	Yukon B	10	0	10	20
Downingtown STEM	Glenbrook South	10	0	10	20
Eastchester	Audrain County AT	0	0	10	10
Edina	Lambert B	10	0	10	20
Georgetown Day	Quince Orchard	10	0	0	10
Herron	Hunter B	0	0	10	10
Homewood-Flossmoor	Yukon A	0	0	10	10
Innovation Academy A	Grosse Pointe South	0	0	10	10
Innovation Academy B	Walker	0	0	10	10
Irvington	Detroit Catholic Central C	0	0	10	10
Johns Creek	Walter Payton A	0	0	10	10
Kane County AT	Lee's Summit	0	0	10	10
Lexington	Northmont	0	0	10	10
Milton	Winston Churchill A	0	0	10	10
Northside College Prep	Montgomery Blair B	0	0	10	10
Northview	Adlai E. Stevenson B	10	0	10	20
Park Tudor	Fremd	10	0	10	20
Richard Montgomery	Lambert A	10	0	10	20
Saint Joseph	Walter Payton B	10	0	10	20
Solon	White Pigeon	0	0	10	10
Strake Jesuit A	Montgomery Blair A	10	10	10	30
Strake Jesuit B	Hinsdale Central A	0	0	10	10
Uni School of Nashville A	West Point	0	0	10	10
Uni School of Nashville B	Saratoga	10	0	10	20
Virginia	Chattahoochee B	0	0	10	10
Wayzata	Hunter A	10	0	10	20
Winston Churchill B	Thomas Jefferson E	10	0	10	20

Summary

Tournament	Edition	Exact Match?	Heard	PPB	Easy %	Medium %	Hard %
2025 PACE NSC	06/07/2025	Y	33	14.55	97%	42%	6%