Daily UPSC Prelims Current Affairs – January 6, 2023 [Mock Test]
January 13, 2023 January 13, 2023
1. Who among the following has won the Nobel prize in physiology for the discovery on human receptors responsible for our ability to sense temperature and touch?
[A] Svante Pabbo
[B] David Julius
[C] Charles Rice
[D] William Kaelin
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [David Julius]
Notes:- The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine is awarded yearly by the Nobel Assembly at the Karolinska Institute for outstanding discoveries in physiology or medicine.
- 2022: Swedish paleogeneticist Svante Paabo for his discoveries on the genomes of extinct hominins and human evolution.
- 2021: US duo David Julius and Ardem Patapoutian for discoveries on human receptors responsible for our ability to sense temperature and touch.
- 2020: Americans Harvey Alter and Charles Rice, together with Briton Michael Houghton, for the discovery of the Hepatitis C virus, leading to the development of sensitive blood tests and antiviral drugs.
- 2019: William Kaelin and Gregg Semenza of the US and Britain’s Peter Ratcliffe for establishing the basis of our understanding of how cells react and adapt to different oxygen levels.
- 2018: Immunologists James Allison of the US and Tasuku Honjo of Japan, for figuring out how to release the immune system’s brakes to allow it to attack cancer cells more efficiently.
- 2017: US geneticists Jeffrey Hall, Michael Rosbash and Michael Young for their discoveries on the internal biological clock that governs the wake-sleep cycles of most living things.
- 2016: Yoshinori Ohsumi of Japan for his work on autophagy — a process whereby cells “eat themselves” — which when disrupted can cause Parkinson’s and diabetes.
- 2015: William Campbell, a US citizen born in Ireland, Satoshi Omura of Japan and Tu Youyou of China for unlocking treatments for malaria and roundworm.
- 2014: American-born Briton John O’Keefe, Edvard I. Moser and May-Britt Moser of Norway for discovering how the brain navigates with an “inner GPS”.
- 2013: Thomas C. Sudhof, a US citizen born in Germany, and James E. Rothman and Randy W. Schekman of the US for work on how the cell organises its transport system.
2. ‘Pili Vesha’, which was in news recently is a:
[A] Folk Dance of North East India
[B] Folk Dance of Coastal Karnataka
[C] Folk Music of North East India
[D] Folk Music of Coastal Karnataka
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Folk Dance of Coastal Karnataka]
Notes:- Pili Vesha or Tiger Masque is a folk dance unique in coastal Karnataka. Pilivēṣa is performed during Navaratri to honour the Goddess Durga whose favoured animal is the tiger.
3. Which of the following is/are correct about ocean acidification?
- It is the reduction in the pH value of the Earth’s Ocean.
- The free hydrogen ions (H+) increase the pH of the ocean, therefore increasing acidity.
- An increase in pH corresponds to a decrease in the concentration of carbonate ions.
Select the correct answer using the codes given below:
[A] Only 1
[B] Only 1 & 3
[C] Only 2 & 3
[D] 1, 2 & 3
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Only 1]
Notes:- Ocean acidification is the reduction in the pH value of the Earth’s Ocean. The root cause of ocean acidification is carbon dioxide emissions from human activities which have led to atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) levels of more than 410 ppm (in 2020).
- The oceans absorb CO2from the atmosphere. This leads to the formation of carbonic acid (H2CO3) which dissociates into a bicarbonate ion (HCO−3) and a hydrogen ion (H+).
- The free hydrogen ions (H+) decrease the pH of the ocean, therefore increasing acidity.
- A decrease in pH corresponds to a decrease in the concentration of carbonate ions, which are the main building block for calcium carbonate (CaCO3) shells and skeletons. Marine calcifying organisms, like mollusks, oysters and corals, are particularly affected by this as they rely on calcium carbonate to build shells and skeletons.
