1. Which among the following is involved in movement of Muscles?
[A] Myoglobin
[B] Myosin
[C] Mucin
[D] None of the above
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Myosin]
Notes:
Myosins refers to a superfamily of motor proteins known for their roles in muscle contraction and other motility processes in eukaryotes. These proteins are basically specialized motor machines that convert the cellular free energy to mechanical work. They depend on ATPs for actin based motility.
2. Who among the following coined the term Bacterium?
[A] Antonie van Leeuwenhoek
[B] Christian Gottfried Ehrenberg
[C] Louis Pasteur
[D] Robert Koch
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Christian Gottfried Ehrenberg]
Notes:
Christian Gottfried Ehrenberg was a was one of the most famous and productive scientists of his time. He was a German naturalist, zoologist, comparative anatomist, geologist, and microscopist. He coined the term Bacterium.
3. Apart from sugarcane (most commonly Saccharum officinarum) which among the following plants is widely known in the world as a commercial source of table sugar ?
[A] Toona cilata
[B] Gloriosa superba
[C] Asparagus pulmosus
[D] Beta vulgaris
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [Beta vulgaris]
Notes:
Beta vulgaris is beet or sugarbeet or Chukandar and has been widely used as a commercial crop for table sugar. Glorisoa superba is Glory Lily which is an ornamental plant. Asparagus pulmosus is also an ornamental plant. Brassica alba is common mustard. Toona cilata is a timber plant from which Indian Redwood is obtained.
4. The colonization of an area that has not been previously occupied by an ecological community is called:
[A] primary succession
[B] secondary succession
[C] tertiary succession
[D] cyclic succession
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [ primary succession]
Notes:
The colonization of an area that has not been previously occupied by an ecological community is called primary succession. Examples are: newly exposed rock or sand surfaces, lava flows, newly exposed glacial tills, etc.
5. The Trans-fats cause problems in human body because__:
[A] The fat molecules contain high energy that cause oxidation of the tissues
[B] The structure of the fat molecules is such that more molecules can fit in lesser space
[C] The fat molecules contain lesser energy and can not be used so easily
[D] None of the above reasons
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [ The structure of the fat molecules is such that more molecules can fit in lesser space]
Notes:
Trans unsaturated fats are particularly risky because the double bond stereochemistry allows the fat molecules to assume a linear conformation, which leads to efficient packing (i.e., plaque formation).
6. With reference to classification of the animals, which among the following groups represents Elasmobranchs?
[A] Shark, Skates and Rays
[B] Shark, Rays and Dolphins
[C] Shark, Skates and Dolphins
[D] Skates, Dolphins and Rays
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [ Shark, Skates and Rays]
Notes:
The term Elasmobranches is a collective name for the sharks, skates and rays. Elasmobranches have a skeleton made of cartilage, no swim bladders and rough skin made up of small dermal dentils. Elasmobranches are renowned for their highly tuned senses.
7. ‘Ophiology’ is the study of which of the following animals?
[A] Moths and Butterflies
[B] Snakes
[C] Whales
[D] Ants
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Snakes]
Notes:
Ophiology is the branch of Biology that study Snakes. Thus Option [B] is correct. While the study of Moths and Butterflies is called as Lepidoteriology, The study of whale is called as Cetology and the study of Ants is called as Myrmecology.
8. Which one of the following is monogamous? (UPSC Prelims 2002)
[A] Wolf
[B] Walrus
[C] Seal
[D] Deer
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Wolf]
Notes:
Wolf alpha pairs are usually monogamous with each other, but alpha males have been known to stray with other pack members, especially if they are closely related. Among red foxes, long considered extremely loyal, mate switching has also been shown.
9. The branch of biology dealing with the study of fungi is known as__?
[A] Phycology
[B] Mycology
[C] Cytology
[D] None of these
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Mycology]
Notes:
Mycology is the branch of biology that deals with the study of fungi, including their genetic and biochemical properties.
10. In which of the following organisms is the nuclear membrane absent?
[A] Nostoc
[B] Volvox
[C] Agaricus
[D] Penicillium
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Nostoc]
Notes:
Nostoc, also known as star jelly, troll’s butter, witch’s butter, and witch’s jelly, is a genus of cyanobacteria. Nostoc does not have a nuclear membrane. This is a characteristic of prokaryotic cells, which lack a nucleus. The genetic material in these cells is found in the cytoplasm, not enclosed within a nuclear membrane. On the contrary, Volvox, Agaricus, and Penicillium are all eukaryotic organisms, hence possess a nuclear membrane.
