General Science Questions (MCQs) for Competitive Examinations

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Pituitary gland, called Master Gland, is the smallest endocrine gland. It controls the general growth of the body coordinating the functioning of other endo crime glands and stimulates the primary sex hormones, i.e. ovaries and testes.

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Trypsin is an enzyme that helps us digest protein. In the small intestine, trypsin breaks down proteins, continuing the process of digestion that began in the stomach. It may also be referred to as a proteolytic enzyme, or proteinase. Trypsin is produced by the pancreas in an inactive form called trypsinogen. The trypsinogen enters the small intestine through the common bile duct and is converted to active trypsin.

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Cuscuta (Dodder) is a genus of about 100-170 species of yellow, orange or red (rarely green) parasitic plants. Dodders are supremely adapted for a life of plunder and pillage. Reduced in form to scrambling and twining threads, they appear to be completely leafless, although closer inspection reveals tiny scale leaves pressed close to the stems. So, it is a stem parasite.

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A fossil is the naturally preserved remains or traces of organisms that lived in the geologic past. There are two main types of fossils; body and trace. Body fossils include the remains of organisms that were once living, and trace fossils are the signs that organisms were present (i.e. footprints, tracks, trails, and burrows).

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The term fish is most strictly used to describe any animal with a backbone that has gills throughout life and has limbs, if any, in the shape of fins. Many types of aquatic animals commonly referred to as fish are not fish in this strict sense; examples include shellfish, cuttlefish, starfish, crayfish and jellyfish.

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Vitamin D is essential in helping the body absorb and use calcium; in fact, the body cannot absorb calcium at all without some vitamin D. Vitamin D helps our intestines absorb calcium from the food we eat and helps build stronger bones.

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Typhoid fever, also known simply as typhoid, is a bacterial infection due to Salmonella typhi, also known as Salmonella enterica serotype typhi, that grows in the intestines and blood. Typhoid is spread by eating or drinking food or water contaminated with the feces of an infected person.

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Polar bears are supremely adapted to their environment – they have a number of traits that help them to cope with snow, ice, and below-freezing temperatures. They have a layer of fat that can be four inches (10 cm) thick. Although their fur is the primary source of insulation, the fat helps keep heat in as well.

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Echo location, also called biosonar, is the biological sonar used by several kinds of animals. Echo-locating animals emit calls out to the environment and listen to the echoes of those calls that return from various objects near them. They use these echoes to locate and identify the objects. Echo-locating animals include some mammals and a few birds; most notably microchiropteran bats and odontocetes (toothed whales and dolphins).

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Cause of night blindness is a deficiency of retinol, or vitamin A, found in fish oils, liver, dairy products, vegetable and fruits yellow in colour. Nyctalopia also called “Night Blindness” is a condition making it difficult or impossible to see in relatively dim light. To over come deficiency of vitamin-A, one needs to feed of food products rich in carotene which is used in synthesis of vitamin-A is liver.