Biology

A few statements are given below followed by a set of terms in a box. Pick the correct term and write it against the appropriate statement
a. Mating of closely related individuals within the same breed

b. Mating of animals of the same breed but having no common ancestors on either side for 4-6 generations

c. Mating of animals of two different species

d. Breeding of animals belonging to different breeds

(i) Crossbreeding, (ii) Inter-specific hybridization, (iii) Outbreeding, (iv) Outcrossing, (v) Inbreeding

Solution: a) Mating of closely related individuals within the same breed - v) inbreeding b) Mating of animals of the same breed but with no common ancestors on either side for at least 4-6...

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Given below are a few statements regarding somatic hybridization. Choose the correct statements.
(i) protoplasts of different cells of the same plant are fused

(ii) protoplasts from cells of different species can be fused

(iii) treatment of cells with cellulase and pectinase is mandatory

(iv) the hybrid protoplast contains characters of only one parental protoplast.

a. (i) and (iii)

b. (i) and (ii)

c. (i) and (iv)

d. (ii) and (iii)

Solution: Somatic hybridization is a technique for manipulating cellular genomes by fusing protoplasts from different species. Treatment of cells with digesting enzymes can be used to isolate their...

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Use of certain chemicals and radiation to change the base sequences of genes of crop plants are termed:
a. recombinant DNA technology

b. transgenic mechanism

c. mutation breeding

d. gene therapy.

Solution: Mutation breeding is the technique of exposing seeds to chemicals and radiation to create mutants with desirable qualities that may be bred with other growers. The base sequence of genes...

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Fungicides and antibiotics are chemicals that:
a. enhance yield and disease resistance

b. kill pathogenic fungi and bacteria, respectively

c. kill all pathogenic microbes

d. kill pathogenic bacteria and fungi respectively.

Solution: Biocidal chemical substances known as fungicides are used to kill parasitic fungi or their spores. They stop pathogenic fungi from growing and causing major damage to crops. Antibiotics...

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Which one of the following combination would a sugarcane farmer look for in the sugarcane crop?
a. Thick stem, long internodes, high sugar content and disease resistant

b. Thick stem, high sugar content and profuse flowering

c. Thick stem, short internodes, high sugar content, disease-resistant

d. Thick stem, low sugar, content, disease-resistant

Solution: Saccharum barberi is sugarcane that is grown in north India, but it has a low sugar content and yield. Saccharum officinarum, on the other hand, was grown in south India and has thick...

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Several South Indian states raise 2-3 crops of rice annually. The agronomic feature that makes this possible is because of
a. shorter rice plant

b. better irrigation facilities

c. early yielding rice variety

d. disease-resistant rice variety

Solution: Rice is grown in some South Indian states twice a year. This is owing to the development of improved rice varieties with increased nutritious content and higher annual yields. Golden rice...

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In virus-infected plants, the meristematic tissues in both apical and axillary buds are free of the virus because:
a. the dividing cells are virus-resistant

b. meristems have anti-viral compounds

c. the cell division of meristems is faster than the rate of viral multiplication

d. Viruses cannot multiply within the meristem cell (s).

Solution: The meristematic tissues are virus-free because virus spread in plant tissue does not keep up with meristem growth, which means meristem growth outpaces viral multiplication. Since they...

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(a) Discuss the major programs that the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India, has initiated for saving major Indian rivers from pollution.
(b) Ganga has recently been declared the national river. Discuss the implication with respect to pollution of this river.

(a) The Government of India's Ministry of Environment and Forests has launched two plans: i. Action Plan for the Ganga ii. Action Plan for the Yamuna These proposals called for a large number of...

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Activated sludge should have the ability to settle quickly so that it can:
a. be rapidly pumped back from sedimentation tank to aeration tank

b. absorb pathogenic bacteria present in wastewater while sinking to the bottom of the settling tank

c. be discarded and anaerobically digested

d. absorb colloidal organic matter.

Solution: Option (a) is the answer. To be pumped back to the aeration tank, the activated sludge must settle fast. 'Be swiftly pumped back from the sedimentation tank to the aeration tank' is the...

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Big holes in Swiss cheese are made by a:
a. a machine

b. a bacterium that produces methane gas

c. a bacterium producing a large amount of carbon dioxide

d. a fungus that releases a lot of gases during its metabolic activities.

Solution: Option (c) is the answer. When Propionibacterium shermani consumes lactic acid, it produces carbon dioxide and bubbles. Big holes appear in the Swiss cheese as a result of the bubbles. As...

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What would happen if oxygen availability to activated sludge flocs is reduced?
a. It will slow down the rate of degradation of organic matter

b. The centre of flocs will become anoxic, which would cause the death of bacteria and eventually breakage of flocs.

c. Flocs would increase in size as anaerobic bacteria would grow around flocs.

d. Protozoa would grow in large numbers

Solution: The microorganisms' ability to break down and destroy the organic materials in sewage or activated sludge is dependent on oxygen. The degradation rate will slow if the oxygen availability...

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The technology of biogas production from cow dung was developed in India largely due to the efforts of:
a. Gas Authority of India

b. Oil and Natural Gas Commission

c. Indian Agricultural Research Institute and Khadi & Village Industries Commission

d. Indian Oil Corporation

Solution: Option (c) is the answer. The Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) and the Khadi & Village Industries Commission (KVIC) were instrumental in developing the method for...

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