General Science Questions (MCQs) for Competitive Examinations

Notes:
True berries, such as blueberries and cranberries have seeds inside. The strawberry, however has its dry, yellow “seeds” on the outside (each of which is actually considered a separate fruit). The “seeds” seen on the outside of a strawberry are actually the plant’s ovaries and are called “achnes.”

Notes:
Bird and snake excretory product is uric acid. Nitrogenous waste is excreted in form of ammonia. In birds and reptiles, uric acid is the major end-product of protein metabolism. It is produced by the liver and excreted by kidney tubules; impaired elimination is an indication of renal disease.

Notes:
In the collateral type of vascular bundle, xylem and phloem are arranged side by side on the same radius. This may be either open or closed. Usually xylem is seen towards the inner side and phloem towards outer side. The collateral vascular bundle is also known as conjoint.

Notes:
R.H. Whittaker (1969) proposed a Five Kingdom Classification: Monera, Protista, Fungi, Plantae and Animalia. The main criteria for classification used by him include cell structure, thallus organisation, mode of nutrition, reproduction and phylogenetic relationships.

Notes:
Monogenetic parasites are the parasites that complete their life cycles in one host only. Ascaris is a monogenetic parasite as it completes it life cycle in a single host, i.e., man.

Notes:
Test tube baby is born from in vitro fertilization. In vitro fertilization (IVF) is a process by which an egg is fertilized by sperm outside the body: in vitro. When a woman’s natural cycle is monitored to collect a naturally selected ovum (egg) for fertilization, it is known as natural cycle IVF. The fertilized egg (zygote) is then transferred to the patient’s uterus with the intention of establishing a successful pregnancy.

Notes:
Sarpagandha plant is used to treat blood pressure. It’s one of the major source of resperine. The powder derived from Sarpagandha roots is an excellent natural remedy for treating hypertension. Sarpagandha lowers blood pressure and improves blood circulation by dilating the blood vessels and controlling nerve function in the muscles that lead to the heart.

Notes:
Poliomyelitis, often called polio or infantile paralysis, is an infectious disease caused by the poliovirus. The virus is transmitted by person-to-person spread mainly through the faecal-oral route or, less frequently, by a common vehicle (e.g. contaminated water or food) and multiplies in the intestine, from where it can invade the nervous system and can cause paralysis.

Notes:
Most of the transpiration occurs through foliar surface or surface of the leaves. It is known as foliar transpiration. Foliar transpiration accounts for over 90% of the total transpiration. The rest is mostly lenticular that occurs through holes in bark called lenticels.

Notes:
ATP stands for Adenosine Triphosphate. It is a molecule that carries energy within cells. It is the main energy currency of the cell, and it is an end product of the processes of photophosphorylation (adding a phosphate group to a molecule using energy from light), cellular respiration, and fermentation.