General Science Questions (MCQs) for Competitive Examinations

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Chlorargyrite is the mineral form of silver chloride (AgCl). It is also known as cerargyrite and, when weathered by desert air, as horn silver. Silver chloride is formed by the disappearance of the initial silver oxide layer.

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Chemical weapons are called “poorman’s bomb”. These cause catastrophic damage, and are easy to produce. Sarin is a colorless and odourless agent, and is extremely potent. It was used in Damascus in 2013. Mustard Gas is possibly the most commonly used chemical agent and gets its name from the distinctive odour of rotten mustard. It is less potent and usually only 5 to 10 percent people exposed to it usually die. It was widely used during Second World War. VX is a nerve agent which is odourless and appears as brownish oily substance.

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Leptospirosis is a bacterial disease caused by corkscrew-shaped bacteria called Leptospira. Signs and symptoms can range from none to mild such as headaches, muscle pains, and fevers; to severe with bleeding from the lungs or meningitis. If the infection causes the person to turn yellow, have kidney failure and bleeding, it is then known as Weil’s disease.

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Typhoid is a common worldwide bacterial disease transmitted by the ingestion of food or water contaminated with the feces of an infected person, which contain the bacterium Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica, serovar Typhi.

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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.

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Ecological succession is unidirectional progressive process of development in an ecosystem or biome. Grass ecosystems are an early stage of succession in regions where the mature ecosystems are forests. However, grass ecosystems are climax ecosystems in grassland regions, where there is not enough rainfall to support a forest. Due to limiting factors such as water scarcity and forest fire, a grassland ecosystem changes to a desert ecosystem. The ecological succession of grassland is desert.

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The central nervous system (CNS) controls most functions of the body and mind. It consists of two parts: the brain and the spinal cord. Both the brain and spinal cord are protected by a three-layered covering of connective tissuecalled the meninges.

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Abscisic acid also called plant stress hormone is responsible for responsible for dormancy of various types. It maintains dormancy in seeds and buds, stimulates the closing of stomata. Gibberellins are responsible for cell division and growth in cell size.

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Antigens are defined as substances recognized by the body as foreign, causing the body to produce an antibody to react specifically with it. Antibodies are proteins produced by lymphocytes as a result of stimulation by an antigen which can then interact specifically with that particular antigen.

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Sharks possess a heterocercal caudal fin in which the dorsal portion is usually noticeably larger than the ventral portion. This is because the shark’s vertebral column extends into the dorsal portion, providing a greater surface area for muscle attachment.