General Science Questions (MCQs) for Competitive Examinations

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Holstein Friesian cows are world’s highest-production dairy animals and dominate the global dairy industry. These cows originated in Dutch provinces of North Holland and Friesland, and Schleswig-Holstein in Northern Germany. They are known as Holsteins in North America and Friesians in UK and Ireland.

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Multicellular organisms are made up of more than one cell. The development of multicellular organisms is accompanied by cellular specialization and division of labor; cells become efficient in one process and are dependent upon other cells for the necessities of life. Paramecium is single-celled protists naturally found in aquatic habitats. Paramecium is the only genus in the family Parameciidae, which resides within the phylum Ciliophora.

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Keratin is a family of fibrous structural proteins that is the key structural component of hair and nails. It is also the key structural material making up the outer layer of human skin. Besides, it provides the necessary strength and toughness for masticatory organs, such as the tongue.

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During hibernation in winter, toads or frogs spend the time tucked away deep in the soil, in the mud underwater or hidden amidst foliage or rotting plants. Outside of times of hibernation, they usually take in oxygen via the air, employing their lungs. However, during hibernation, they receive their necessary oxygen through their permeable skin. This is referred to as cutaneous gas exchange.

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Composting is the depomposition of plant remains and other once-living materials to make an earthy, dark, crumbly substance that is excellent for enriching soil. It is the chief way to recycle wastes.

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The plastid is a major double-membrane organelle found in the cells of plants. Plastids are the site of manufacture and storage of important chemical compounds used by the cell. Plastids often contain pigments used in photosynthesis, and the types of pigments present can change or determine the cell’s colour.

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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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It is assumed that protodermal cells divide periclinally in certain cases to form multiseriate or multiple epidermis. The multiple epidermis is found in some organs like roots of orchids (Vanda), leaves of Ficus, Nerium, Piperomia, etc. In Nerium, it is found on both surfaces.

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Sphygmomanometer an instrument for measuring blood pressure. It typically consists of an inflatable rubber cuff which is applied to the arm and connected to a column of mercury next to a graduated scale, enabling the determination of systolic and diastolic blood pressure by increasing and gradually releasing the pressure in the cuff. The sphygmomanometer was invented by Samuel Siegfried Karl Ritter von Basch in 1881.

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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).