Biology

Minerals and Nutrients

849 Questions

Review essential biology concepts regarding minerals and nutrients in this question bank. It covers trace elements required by plants and minerals crucial for human blood and bone formation. These facts frequently appear in general science exams.

Essential plant micronutrientsChlorophyll synthesis elementsHuman blood and bone mineralsTrace elements in physiology

Minerals and Nutrients Questions

Multiple choice bio-chemistry minerals minerals and vitamins nutrition and diet role of various nutrients

Which of the group of elements is not essential for a normal plant?

  1. K, Ca, Mg

  2. Fe, Zn, Mn, B

  3. Pb, I, Na

  4. Mg, Fe, Mo
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

The plant ash reveals the presence of 40 elements but all are not essential for plant nutrition, only a few are essential for growth and development of plants. These are called as the essential elements. The essential elements may be grouped as major elements or macronutrients and trace elements or micronutrients, based on their requirement by plants. 

Major elements or macronutrients are required in large amounts and form the plant constituents. These include carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium and sulphur. These elements form an integral part of complex organic molecules. Some of these elements help in the functioning of enzyme systems. The sources of macronutrients are generally the soil or the atmosphere. 
Trace elements or micronutrients are elements, like iron, boron, manganese, copper, zinc and molybdenum. They are required for plants only in very small amounts but these are indispensable for the normal growth and development of plants. 
Lead, Iodine and sodium are generally not required by plants and are non essential elements for plant mineral nutrition.

Multiple choice bio-chemistry minerals minerals and vitamins nutrition and diet role of various nutrients

Which element is most abundant outside animal cell?

  1. Na

  2. K
  3. I$ _2$

  4. Fe
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Living systems in general maintain a high intracellular concentration of potassium and low intracellular concentration of sodium. Living systems operate sodium potassium pump for this purpose which actively throws out sodium from the cytoplasm and transports potassium ions from extracellular environment to inside the cytoplasm.

Multiple choice bio-chemistry minerals minerals and vitamins nutrition and diet role of various nutrients

Liver necrosis and muscular dystrophy is measured by the lack of this trace element.

  1. Arsenic

  2. Molybdenum

  3. Zinc

  4. Selenium
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Epidemiological studies revels that low serum Selenium levels are associated with increased risk of  cardio-vascular diseases, liver necrosis, muscular dystrophy, pancreatic fibrosis, reproductive disorders and various cancers.
Selenium, along with vitamin E, prevents the development of hepatic necrosis and muscular dystrophy.
The good sources of Selenium are organ meat ( liver, kidney) and sea food.

Multiple choice bio-chemistry minerals minerals and vitamins nutrition and diet role of various nutrients

Which group of element is not essential for a normal plant?

  1. Potassium, calcium, magnesium

  2. Iron, zinc, manganese, boron

  3. Lead, platinum, iodine

  4. Magnesium, iron, molybdenum
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Lead, platinum, and iodine are not considered essential nutrients for the normal growth and development of plants, unlike the others listed which are micronutrients or macronutrients.

Multiple choice bio-chemistry minerals minerals and vitamins nutrition and diet role of various nutrients

In which of the following all three are macronutrients?

  1. Nitrogen, Nickel, Phosphorous

  2. Boron, Zinc, Manganese

  3. Iron, Copper, Molybdenum

  4. Molybdenum, Magnesium, Manganese
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

None of the options is correct. However, in some cases toxic level of Nickel is approached well above the concentration of $1$mg/g as that of macronutrients.

Multiple choice bio-chemistry minerals minerals and vitamins nutrition and diet role of various nutrients

This trace element is needed for insulin to exert its maximal effect in glucose uptake

  1. Vanadium

  2. Chromium

  3. Molybdenum

  4. Selenium
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Chromium is an essential element involved in the regulation of blood glucose levels within the body. It interacts with the low-molecular weight chromium binding substance to amplify the action of insulin. The amount of chromium in the body can be decreased as a result of a diet high in simple sugars, which increases the excretion of the metal through urine.

Multiple choice botany adaptations to different ecosystems lichen lichens lichens ( the nature's pioneers )

The nutrients received by heterotrophic part of the lichen from the autotrophic part are

  1. Lipids

  2. Proteins

  3. Carbohydrates

  4. Minerals
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation
  • The algal component carries out photosynthesis and produces carbohydrate glucose during the dark reaction of photosynthesis.
  • Minerals are provided to the algal part by fungal mycelium. It absorbs water and minerals from the substratum.
  • Lipids and proteins are neither supplied by algal part nor fungal part but synthesized within the organism itself.
  • So the correct answer is 'Carbohydrate'.
Multiple choice biology enzymes classification of enzyme enzymes classification and cofactors the origin of cells and cell division

Nickel is component of

  1. PEP carboxylase

  2. Rubisco

  3. Urease

  4. Nitrate reductase
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Urease is a nickel-containing metalloprotein which catalyzes the hydrolysis of urea into carbon dioxide and ammonia. Due to the production of ammonia, it increases the production of ammonia. Sumner crystallized an enzyme known as urease and reported that all enzymes are protein. Heliobacter pylori are microbial ureases found in the stomach.

So, the correct answer is option C.

Multiple choice biology enzymes classification of enzyme enzymes classification and cofactors the origin of cells and cell division

Which one of the following enzyme contains 'Mn' metallic ion as the prosthetic group?

  1. Phosphatase

  2. Dehydrogenase

  3. Peptidase

  4. Catalase
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Prosthetic groups are tightly bound cofactors. Peptidase enzymes hydrolyze peptide bonds. Peptidase enzymes require manganese ion for their activity as prosthetic group.

Multiple choice

What element is found in milk?

  1. Calcium

  2. Carbonate

  3. Carbon

  4. Silicon
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Milk is well known for being a dietary source of calcium, which is a chemical element essential for bone health.

Multiple choice

What element is found in bananas?

  1. Sugar

  2. Potassium

  3. Carbohydrate

  4. Oxygen
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Bananas are a well-known dietary source of potassium, which is a chemical element.

Multiple choice

Which of the following is NOT a dietary mineral?

  1. Vitamin C

  2. Calcium

  3. Phosphorus

  4. Iron
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Dietary minerals are inorganic elements (like calcium, phosphorus, and iron) needed by the body. Vitamin C is an organic compound, not a mineral.

Multiple choice

Essential nutrients are those which...

  1. Are synthesized by the body so do not need to be in the diet

  2. Are not synthesized by the body + are not needed in the diet

  3. Are not synthesized by the body so must be eaten in the diet

  4. Are synthesized by the body and must be eaten in the diet
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Essential nutrients are substances that the body cannot synthesize at all, or cannot synthesize in sufficient amounts, making them mandatory components of a healthy diet.