General Science Quiz: Physics, Cell Biology, and Genetics

Oxytocin is the hormone responsible for milk ejection (let-down reflex) during lactation. It causes the muscles around the milk-producing cells to contract, pushing milk into the ducts. Prolactin is responsible for milk production, not ejection. Thyroxine regulates metabolism and testosterone is a male sex hormone.

Kaziranga National Park in Assam is world-renowned for its population of the Indian one-horned rhinoceros. While other sanctuaries like Periyar have diverse wildlife, Kaziranga is specifically famous for having the largest population of this species. The park was established specifically to protect the rhinoceros.

Turner syndrome is characterized by 45 chromosomes with a karyotype of 45,X (22 pairs of autosomes + one X chromosome). The notation XO indicates only one sex chromosome (X) is present instead of the usual two (XX or XY). This occurs due to nondisjunction during gamete formation.

Haemophilia is called the 'royal disease' because it affected many members of European royal families, particularly the descendants of Queen Victoria of Britain. The X-linked recessive bleeding disorder was passed through several royal houses including those of Spain, Germany, and Russia.

Progesterone is a steroid hormone, not a vaccine. Vaccines like polio vaccine, BCG (for tuberculosis), and anti-rabies vaccine are biological preparations that provide immunity. Progesterone is a female sex hormone involved in menstrual cycle and pregnancy.

Hugo de Vries discovered mutation in 1900 through his work on evening primrose plants. While Mendel discovered inheritance laws earlier, mutation as a phenomenon was discovered by de Vries. Morgan later discovered chromosomal inheritance, and Huxley was an evolutionary biologist.

Blood appears red due to haemoglobin, an iron-containing protein in red blood cells that binds oxygen. The iron in haemoglobin gives blood its characteristic red color when oxygenated. Albumin is a transport protein, Vitamin B6 is a nutrient, and relaxin is a hormone.

Mushrooms are excellent plant sources of choline, a nutrient essential for brain health and liver function. While yeast also contains some choline, mushrooms are particularly rich sources. Green leaves and cereal grains are not primary choline sources compared to mushrooms.

Ornithophily specifically refers to pollination by birds. The term comes from 'ornis' (bird) and 'phily' (love). Wind pollination is anemophily, insect pollination is entomophily, and seed dispersal by wind is anemochory. Birds like sunbirds and hummingbirds are common pollinators.

Guttation is the process where plants release water in liquid form through specialized pores called hydathodes, typically found at leaf margins. This occurs when soil moisture is high and transpiration is low (usually at night), creating root pressure that forces water out. Transpiration releases water vapor through stomata, while transduction and transformation are genetic engineering terms.

Cuscuta (dodder) is a complete stem parasite that lacks chlorophyll and doesn't produce its own food - it derives all water and nutrients from the host plant through haustoria that penetrate the host's stem. Drosera is an insectivorous plant, Viscum is a hemi-parasite (has some chlorophyll), and Vanda is an autotrophic orchid.

Potato was successfully used to produce edible vaccines - antigens for diseases like cholera and hepatitis B were expressed in potato tubers. When eaten, these stimulate immune response. Pea, mango, and cabbage were not the primary success stories in early edible vaccine development. Note: 'vaccme' in the question is a typo for 'vaccine'.

Prokaryotic cells have 70S ribosomes composed of 50S and 30S subunits. This is a fundamental distinction from eukaryotic cells which have 80S ribosomes. Prokaryotes DO have cell walls (peptidoglycan in bacteria) and DO have genetic material (circular DNA), so options A and C are incorrect. Option B is incorrect because 80S ribosomes are eukaryotic.

Oxidative phosphorylation occurs in the inner mitochondrial membrane where the electron transport chain is located. The proton gradient across this membrane drives ATP synthesis via ATP synthase. The matrix contains TCA cycle enzymes, and chloroplast structures are involved in photosynthesis, not respiration. Note: 'mito-' in option C is an abbreviation for mitochondrion.

Mitochondria are present in all eukaryotic cells (yeast, fungi, algae) but absent in prokaryotic cells like bacteria. Bacteria lack membrane-bound organelles entirely. The question contains a typo ('cellls' should be 'cells') and option D has odd formatting ('Algae A' instead of just 'Algae').

The energy of a single photon is given by E = hv, where h is Planck's constant and v is the frequency of the electromagnetic radiation. This is a fundamental equation in quantum physics, first proposed by Einstein to explain the photoelectric effect.

The photoelectric effect is used for amplification in devices like photomultiplier tubes, where a single photon can trigger a cascade of electrons, greatly amplifying the signal. It is not used for lighting (it converts light to electricity), cooling, or general-purpose applications.

In beta decay, a neutrino (or antineutrino) is always emitted along with the beta particle. In beta-minus decay, an antineutrino is emitted; in beta-plus decay, a neutrino is emitted. This conserves lepton number and accounts for the continuous energy spectrum of beta particles.