General Science Questions (MCQs) for Competitive Examinations

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Fertilization is the process of fusion of the male and the female gametes. This can occur either inside (internal fertilization) or outside (external fertilization) the body of the female. Humans provide an example of the former whereas seahorse reproduction is an example of the latter.

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Phototropism is the growth of organisms in response to light. In plants, phototropism is a response to blue wavelengths of light and is caused by a redistribution of auxin from the illuminated side to the darker side of the shoot, resulting in quicker growth on the darker side and bending of the shoot toward the source of light.

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According to the K+ ion theory the guard cells absorb K+ ions from the cells around them as they produce ATP (due to photosynthesis) and become hypertonic. This leads to absorption of water from nearby cells by endosmosis due to which the guard cells become turgid and the stomata opens. Decreasing light intensity and photosynthesis causes Stomatal closing.

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Methane (CH4) is a greenhouse gas and causes warming the same way that CO2 does. It absorbs radiation emitted from the surface and re-emits that radiation in all directions with some of the radiation returning to the surface where it is absorbed and converted to heat. In the first two decades after its release, methane is 84 times more potent than carbon dioxide.

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Bulbs are modified stems of some plants. The stem is modified to be a storage organ where the plant stores its reserve materials which it would use in times of need. It has a modified flower bud or other growth point that is surrounded by modified, fleshy leaves that are referred to as scales. Onion is the best example of bulb.

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Oxygen liberated during photosynthesis comes from the splitting or hydrolysis of water in the green plants. Cornelius van Niel experimentally proved for the first time that the oxygen liberated during photosynthesis comes from water and not from carbon dioxide. Oxygen is expelled out of plants and Hydrogen is used to reduce Carbon dioxide to produce carbohydrates.

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Anatomy, a field in the biological sciences concerned with the identification and description of the body structures of living things. Gross anatomy involves the study of major body structures by dissection and observation and in its narrowest sense is concerned only with the human body.

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Cell theory was first developed in 1839 by Matthias Jakob Schleiden and Theodor Schwann. They stated that all organisms are composed of one or more cells, that cells are the fundamental unit of structure and function in all living organisms, and that all cells come from pre-existing cells.

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Most of Earth’s oxygen comes from tiny ocean plants – called phytoplankton – that live near the water’s surface and drift with the currents. Like all plants, they photosynthesize – that is, they use sunlight and carbon dioxide to make food. Scientists believe that phytoplankton contribute between 50 to 85 percent of the oxygen in Earth’s atmosphere (National Geographic).

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Insect and bird wings are analogous structures but not homologous structures. They are externally similar in appearance and function (i.e. for flying), but have dissimilar origin and developmental plan.