General Science Questions (MCQs) for Competitive Examinations

Notes:
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.

Notes:
Blood pressure is usually expressed in terms of the systolic (maximum) pressure over diastolic (minimum) pressure and is measured in millimetres of mercury (mm Hg). It is one of the vital signs along with respiratory rate, heart rate, oxygen saturation, and body temperature. Normal resting blood pressure in an adult is approximately 120/80 mm Hg.

Notes:
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.

Notes:
The National Viral Hepatitis Control Program aims to combat hepatitis and achieve country wide elimination of Hepatitis C by 2030. Launched on 28 July, 2018, it also aims to achieve significant reduction in the infected population, morbidity and mortality associated with Hepatitis B and C viz. Cirrhosis and Hepato-cellular carcinoma (liver cancer).

Notes:
The scientific name of peacock is Pavo Cristatus. It is also known as the Indian blue peafowl, common peafowl, blue peafowl, and blue Indian peafowl. It is a large and brightly coloured bird, is a species of peafowl native to the Indian subcontinent, but introduced in many other parts of the world.

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Micropropagation is the practice of rapidly multiplying stock plant material to produce a large number of progeny plants, using modern plant tissue culture methods. It leads to the production of plants that are clones of each other. It often produces more robust plants, leading to accelerated growth compared to similar plants produced by conventional methods– like cuttings.

Notes:
The term xerophyte refers to a plant species that has evolved over time to adapt to dry and arid regions like deserts. Xerophytes have adapted to be able to keep extremely large amounts of water for a long period of time. Without this capability, the plant would die, as the desert region itself does not provide enough water to sustain life. They have thick cuticle, sunken stomata and leaves modified in form of spines such as in opuntia.

Notes:
Detoxification is the physiological or medicinal removal of toxic substances from a living organism which is mainly carried out by the liver. It breaks down or transforms substances like ammonia, metabolic waste, drugs, alcohol and chemicals, so that they can be excreted. The liver filter is designed to remove toxic matter such as dead cells, microorganisms, chemicals, drugs and particulate debris from the bloodstream.

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The Widal test is used to help make a presumptive diagnosis of enteric fever, also known as typhoid fever. Typhid is the other test used to ascertain the diagnosis of typhoid fever.

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The nucleoplasm is the liquid or semi-liquid substance of the nucleus filling the space around the DNA and the nucleoli. It is a type of protoplasm that is made up mostly of water, a mixture of various molecules, and dissolved ions. It is completely enclosed within the nuclear membrane or nuclear envelope.