General Science Questions (MCQs) for Competitive Examinations

Notes:
Rings of cartilage are present in the throat, specifically in the trachea or windpipe, to ensure that the air passage does not collapse. These semi-circular rings provide the necessary structural support to keep the airway open regardless of pressure changes that occur during breathing. This is very important for maintaining a clear, open path for air to flow into our lungs for respiration.

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Greenhouse gases that occur both naturally and from human activities include water vapor, carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O) and ozone (O3). These gases contribute to atmospheric warming when they absorb infrared radiation emitted by the solar-warmed Earth and transfer their extra energy to the surrounding atmospheric gases.

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Histology is the study of the micro anatomy of cells, tissues, and organs as seen through a microscope. It examines the correlation between structure and fun-ction.Histology is the micro-scopic counterpart to gross anatomy which looks at larger structures visible without a microscope.

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The Taungya system involves growing agricultural crops between rows of planted trees (sal, teak, etc). Along with jhum cultivation, it is one of the well-known systems of agro forestry programmes in practice in our country.

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The swim bladder is an internal gas-filled organ that contributes to the ability of a fish to control its buoyancy, and thus to stay at the current water depth without having to waste energy in swimming. The cartilaginous fish (e.g. sharks and rays) split from the other fishes about 420 million years ago and lack both lungs and swim bladders, suggesting that these structures evolved after that split.

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Mycobacterium leprae is a bacillus (rod-shaped) bacterium that causes leprosy, also known as “Hansen’s disease”, which is a chronic infectious disease that damages the peripheral nerves and targets the skin, eyes, and muscles, upper respiratory tract, and nasal mucosa (lining of the nose).

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Hydra is radially symmetrical, that is, the parts of its body are arranged in a circle around a central median axis passing through the mouth. Hydra reproduces by asexual and sexual methods. Asexual reproduction takes place either by budding or by fission.

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Hh or the Bombay blood group, is a rare blood type. This blood phenotype was first discovered in Bombay, now known as Mumbai, by Dr. Y. M. Bhende in 1952. It is mostly found in South Asia (India, Bangladesh, Pakistan) and parts of Middle East such as Iran. Individuals with the rare Bombay phenotype (hh) do not express H antigen (also called substance H), the antigen which is present in blood group O. For this reason people who have Bombay phenotype can donate red blood cells to any member of the ABO blood group system but they cannot receive blood from any member of the ABO blood group system but only from other people who have Bombay phenotype.

Notes:
Yeast are eukaryotic, single-celled microorganisms classified as members of the fungus kingdom. They are estimated to constitute 1% of all described fungal species. Yeasts, such as Candida albicans, are opportunistic pathogens and can cause infections in humans. Commercially they are widely used in production of alcohol and carbon dioxide. Hence, they are known to lay foundation of bakery and brewery industries.

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Entomology, branch of anthropology and study of zoology, deals with the scientific study of insects. The Greek word entomon, meaning “notched,” refers to the segmented body plan of the insect. The zoological categories of genetics, taxonomy, morphology, physiology, behaviour, and ecology are included in this field of study.