Explanation:

Bioprospecting is the exploration of plant and animal species for the utilization of their genetic resources in pharmaceutical and biochemical industries and in the production of a wide array of commercially viable products. Hence option (a) is the correct answer. • It led to novel treatments for malaria, tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, and cancer, highlighting yet again the interdependence between ecosystems and human health and wellbeing. • Bioprospecting is based on a sustainable approach to bringing economic and social benefits to often poor communities who otherwise would resort to unsustainable use of land, consumption of environmental resources or other negative coping mechanisms such as economic migration. • Additional information: o Biopiracy is defined as the unauthorized appropriation of knowledge and genetic resources of farming and indigenous communities by individuals or institutions seeking exclusive monopoly control through patents or intellectual property. o Biosparging is an in situ remediation technique that supplies oxygen and nutrients (if needed) to contaminated soils to promote aerobic biodegradation of contaminants (i.e. petroleum hydrocarbons) by indigenous microorganisms. o A biopile is a type of ex-situ treatment that uses biological processes to transform pollutants into lowtoxic byproducts. It is often used to lower petroleum component concentrations in soils by utilizing the bioremediation process. Biopiles are a type of remediation system that is used for a short period.