General Science Questions (MCQs) for Competitive Examinations

Notes:
Most cases of filariasis are caused by the parasite known as Wuchereria bancrofti. A wide range of mosquitoes can transmit this parasite, depending on the geographic area. In Africa, the most common vector is Anopheles while in the Americas, it is Culex quinquefasciatus. Aedes and Mansonia transmits transmit the infection in the Pacific and in Asia. Thus, Culex, Aedes and Anopheles mosquitoes serve as vector for W. bancrofti in transmission of the disease. Aedes mosquito causes dengue fever. Anopheles mosquito causes malaria. Culex mosquito causes filaria. A wide range of mosquitoes can transmit the parasite, depending on the geographic area. In Africa, the most common vector is Anopheles and in the Americas, it is Culex quinquefasciatus. [This question was wrongly framed in exam as “filaria is caused by__:”. GKtoday has edited it to make it correct.]

Notes:
Van Mahotsav was started in 1950 by K. M. Munshi, the then Union Minster for Agriculture and Food to create enthusiasm among masses for forest conservation and planting trees. It is a week-long festival is celebrated in July on different days in different parts of India. The festival aims at increasing the green cover of India.

Notes:
The gap between the two neurons is called the synapse. It is a structure that permits a neuron (or nerve cell) to pass an electrical or chemical signal to another neuron. Synapses are essential to neuronal function : neurons are cells that are specialized to pass signals to individual target cells, and synapses are the means by which they do so.

Notes:
Smallpox was an infectious disease caused by either of two virus variants, Variola major and Variola minor. After vaccination campaigns throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, the WHO certified the global eradication of smallpox in 1979. Smallpox is one of two infectious diseases to have been eradicated, the other being Rinderpest.

Notes:
The pulmonary veins drain oxygenated blood from the lungs to the left atrium. A small amount of blood is also drained from the lungs by the bronchial veins. There are typically four pulmonary veins, two draining each lung. The pulmonary veins are part of the pulmonary circulation.

Notes:
The cerebrum or cortex is the largest part of the human brain, associated with higher brain function such as thought and action. Functions of the cerebrum include: initiation of movement, coordination of movement, temperature, touch, vision, hearing, judgment, reasoning, problem solving, emotions, and learning.

Notes:
The plants, which have hard and thick brown stem and are very tall are called trees. The stems have branches in upper part and much above the ground. For example, mango, neem. Trees are not a taxonomic group but include a variety of plant species that have independently evolved a woody trunk and branches as a way to tower above other plants for sunlight.

Notes:
A Red Data Book published by IUCN contains lists of species whose continued existence is threatened. Species are classified into different categories of perceived risk. Each Red Data Book usually deals with a specific group of animals or plants (e.g. reptiles, insects, mosses).

Notes:
Sea hares are molluscs. They belong to Phylum Mollusca and Class Gastropoda like snails. Like many other sea slugs (Subclass Opistobranchia), sea hares lack external shells as adults. Sea hares belong to Order Anaspidea.

Notes:
The human brain is divided into three parts : The brainstem which has the pons, the midbrain, and the medulla oblongata. The cerebellum which forms the hindbrain along with the brainstem and is located below the cerebrum. The cerebrum which is the largest section of the brain, is divided into two hemispheres (the left and the right) each of which has four lobes: the frontal, the temporal, the parietal, and the occipital.