BIO QUEST 2020

Question 1.

This phenomenon occurs in saprophytes, and involves the uptake of dissolved organic compounds by osmosis for nutrition. Name the phenomenon.

Answer: Osmotrophy

Question 2.

What is the 'Christmas disease'? Deficiency of which factor causes 'Christmas' disease?

Answer : Haemophilia B

Factor IX (Plasma thromboplastin)

Question 3.

Name a clinical trial in which blood is transfused from recovered COVID-19 patients to a corona virus patient who is in critical condition.

Answer: (Convalescent) Plasma therapy

Question 1

There is a thin false dissepiment separating the two valves of some fruits (as siliques and some legumes) from which the valves fall away at maturity. It is found in the Brassicaceae family. What is it known as ?

Answer : Replum

Question 2

This process consists of two formative movements called Epiboly and Emboly. Identify the process.

Answer: Gastrulation

Question 3

What type of genome does the Coronavirus contain, and to which group does it belong on the basis of Mode of Replication?

Answer : Positive sense ssRNA and Baltimore group

Question 1.

Triticum aestivum, Oryza sativa, Equisetum arvense, Avena sativa.

What is the common unique feature among the above plants?

Answer: They accumulate or have high content of Silicon.

Question 2.

Which stain is used to stain chromosomes? From where is the dye obtained/prepared?

Answer : Acetocarmine obtained from an insect known as Coccus cacti.

Question 3.

Via which enzyme does the corona virus access host cells of the lungs ? (This is the most abundant enzyme in type II alveolar cells)

Answer : Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2)

Question 1.

Glycogen is the analogue of starch, a glucose polymer that

stores energy in plants. It is extremely similar in structure to another polymer which is a component of starch.

Name the polymer.

Answer: Amylopectin

Question 2.

C₅₅H₇₂O₅N₄Mg is the formula of which compound?

Answer : Chlorophyll a, the primary photosynthetic pigment of most higher plants.

Question 3.

The SARS outbreak was an epidemic which was very similar to the Coronavirus. In which year was the first official case recorded ? Who were the initial vectors of this virus ?

Answer : First case- 2002

Vectors- Civet cats

Question 1.

Which cell of the human body is considered immortal?

Answer : Germ cells

Question 2.

Who proved semi conservative replication of DNA experimentally and it was first demonstrated in which organism?

Answer : Meselson and Stahl proved the semi conservative replication of DNA.

First demonstrated in Escherichia coli

Question 3.

What is the nature of the growth rate of Covid-19 in India?

Answer: Exponential

Question 1.

Toddy is an alcoholic beverage common in various parts of Asia, Africa, the Caribbean and South America. Name the plant from which it is obtained, and the method used to prepare it.

Answer: Palm tree.

The beverage is prepared through the process of fermentation.

Question 2.

For a long time it was believed that life originated from decaying matter. What is this theory known as? Name the scientist and the experiment by which this theory was disproved.

Answer : Theory of Spontaneous generation or Abiogenesis.

Louis Pasteur experimentally disproved this theory by his swan-neck flask experiment.

Question 3.

This is an antiviral COVID-19 drug. Glenmark Pharmaceuticals under the brand name FabiFlu has launched this antiviral drug. It is India's first COVID-19 drug launched, priced at Rs 103 per tablet.

Name this drug.

Answer : Favipiravir

Picture

The movement of this animal is

snakelike. This is because this animal has more spinal vertebra than other primates.

Statement

Birds, as we know, have evolved from reptiles. They have developed wings for flying, and have reached great heights. Which species of bird flies at the highest elevation ?

Answers

1. Slow loris (Nycticebus)

2. Bar-headed Goose (Anser indicus)

Picture

In breeding season, the plumage of the males transform into a beautiful dark purple with a metallic purplish to green blue head, mantle and breast- which can sometimes have a maroon shine.

Statement

Puma concolor is the second-heaviest cat in the Western hemisphere after the jaguar.

What is its common name?

Answers

1. Purple rumped sunbird (Leptocoma zeylonica)

2. Cougar/ mountain lion

Picture

This fish is well known for proving the theory of Lamarckism (Disuse of organs).

Statement

Considered a “living fossil”, this deep-sea shark is known for its ability to protrude its jaws to catch its prey. Identify this animal.

Answers

1. Mexican tetra, also known as the blind cave fish (Astyanax mexicanus)

2. Goblin Shark (Mitsukurina owstoni)

Picture

This reptile has the same name as a place in New Zealand. Very ironically this animal is not from this place at all - its main origin is Pico Rivera Wetlands in South America.

Statement

Humans have a pretty good sense of touch, and some of the best sight in the animal kingdom. However, many animals have us beat in the hearing department. Name the animal which has the best hearing in the animal kingdom.

Answers

1. Matamata turtle (Chelus fimbriata)

2. Greater wax moth (Galleria mellonella)

Picture

This bird happens to be the world's only flightless parrot. This is also the world’s heaviest parrot. Identify the bird.

Statement

Mammals are warm-blooded vertebrates with hair. They feed their young with milk and have a more well-developed brain than other types of animals. Which is the smallest mammal in the world?

Answers

1. Kakapo (Strigops habroptilus)

2. Etruscan shrew (Suncus etruscus)

Picture

Though these animals could be physically compared to bears, pigs and guinea pigs, the closest living relative to this animal is the koala. They are the second largest of all marsupials.

Statement

What is unique about the sociable weaver ?

Answers

1. Wombat

2. These birds build the largest nests in the world.

Alzheimer's

A progressive disease that destroys memory and other important mental functions and causes hallucinations.

Bulimia Nervosa

A serious eating disorder marked by bingeing, followed by methods to avoid weight gain.

Lesh Nyhan syndrome

Condition characterized by neurological and behavioral abnormalities and the overproduction of uric acid in the body.

ALS / Lou Gehrig's Disease

A nervous system disease that weakens muscles and impacts physical function. Nerve cells break down, which reduces functionality in the muscles that they supply.

Ovarian Cancer

Ovarian cancer often goes undetected until it has spread within the pelvis and stomach. Surgery and chemotherapy are generally used to treat ovarian cancer.

SARS

Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is a viral respiratory illness caused by a coronavirus called SARS-associated coronavirus (SARS-CoV)

Question.

A 5 year old boy is reported with main complaint of medical history of repeated falls, fatigue and muscle weakness.He had no previous records of medical history.

Hint #1

Child has an obese appearance ; presented difficulty in standing, climbing stairs, rising from a lying or sitting position and proximal weakness. Also had big calves.

Hint #2

On testing, it is found that CPK (Creatinine Phosphokinase) is abnormally high. Muscle biopsy and genetic tests confirm the disease. Identify the disease.

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD)

An inherited disorder of progressive muscular weakness, typically in boys

Question.

A 32 year old is reported with severe pain in lower abdomen and pelvis.She had no previous records of medical history. She had recently delivered a baby, doctors weren't very concerned. However after about a year, her menstrual cycle was extremely affected (faced dysmenorrhea). She also became infertile.

Hint #1

The disease had affected peritoneal lining, and was reversible. She had lower back pain that was occurring at any time during her menstrual cycle.

Hint #2

She was diagnosed with a common,benign,oestrogen depending disease which was not carcinogenic in her case. Identify the disease.

Endometriosis

Endometriosis is an often painful disorder in which tissue similar to the tissue that normally lines the inside of the uterus — the endometrium — grows outside the uterus.

Question.

A 19 year old boy got hospitalised for extreme chest pain and cough lasting for more than 2 weeks. He had no previous records of medical history.

Hint #1

The boy is believed to be a chain smoker. Some more symptoms he is showing are fatigue, loss of appetite and coughing up blood.

Hint #2

If this disease is not treated immediately, it can lead to permanent lung damage. Its a major fatality in people with HIV. Identify the disease.

Tuberculosis

A potentially serious infectious bacterial disease that mainly affects the lungs. The bacteria that cause TB are spread when an infected person coughs or sneezes.

Question.

An 11 year old girl of pale appearance is reported to the clinic. Patient has significant skeleto-muscular pain off and on, abdominal discomfort with pain and fever off and on. She had no previous records of medical history.

Hint #1

Several tests were run.Total WBC ,RBC ,platelets within normal count. Coomb’s test, G6PD, and Malaria antigen tests were negative. Liver function tests show mild increase in total and indirect bilirubin. However it is identified that there is low oxygen in the body

Hint #2

She has inflamed fingers or toes. She confesses to often having shortness of breath. There is the presence of a few gall stones in her gall bladder. Identify the disease.

Sickle cell anaemia

An inherited group disorder, red blood cells contort into a sickle shape. The cells die early, leaving a shortage of healthy red blood cells

Question.

A 29 year old woman suffered with a great deal of allergies. Allergies included hay fever, sinusitis and itchy spots on her skin in various parts of her body. She used anti-histamines when the symptoms became really bad, but the symptoms never went away fully. She had no previous records of medical history.

Hint #1

Her sleep quality was pretty terrible . She always had a bloated abdomen and felt quite uncomfortable after meals. She even felt nauseous sometimes. According to her statements, she didn’t have a bowel motion every day.

Hint #2

On further clinical tests, it was observed her platelet levels were lower than normal. She bled excessively when hurt. Her condition was not severe enough to be worrying and immune-suppressing drugs were given for this . Identify the disease.

Thrombocytopenia

Condition characterized by abnormally low levels of platelets, leading to excessive allergies.

Question.

A 68 year old woman claims to have problems with balance and a small hand tremor. She feels dizzy, less confident in environments with people and extreme fatigue. Her nights are restless, she's not getting enough sleep.She's had no previous records of medical history.

Hint #1

There's muscle rigidity, problems with co-ordination, difficulty in thinking and understanding. She seems to suffer from depression or anxiety.

Hint #2

She has a sudden fear of falling, gets nightmares. Her handwriting size has decreased from her usual handwriting. Identify the disease which has affected her CNS .

Parkinson's disease

Nerve cell damage in the brain causes dopamine levels to drop, leading to the symptoms of Parkinson's.

Parkinson's often starts with a tremor in one hand and loss of balance.

For example

Robert Hooke

Discovery of cell

1.)

Photosynthesis

Ans. The Calvin Cycle

Converts Carbon Dioxide and Water Into Glucose

2.)

Medicine

-

O

Ans. Alexander Flemming

Discovered penicillin.

3.)

Genetics

Ans. Calvin Bridges

Xenic Balance Theory

Drosophila

4.)

Ans. Thomas Hunt Morgan

Chromosomal Theory

of Inheritance

5.)

DNA

Ans. Rosalind Franklin

X-ray diffraction images

of DNA

6.)

plants

Ans. Jagadish Chandra Bose

Proved that plants are

living organisms

7.)

DDT

Ans. Rachel Carson

American biologist well known for her writings on

environmental pollution and the natural history of

the sea.

Also author of the famous book Silent Spring.

8.)

DNA

Ans. Maurice Wilkins

Contributed to the discovery of DNA.

Won Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine, along

with Watson and Crick in 1962.

9.)

G

Ans. Lalji Singh

Father of Indian DNA Fingerprinting

10.

Ans. Charles Darwin

Theory of evolution by natural selection

and survival of the fittest

11.) Identify the mega project by connecting the pictures given below.

Lasted from 1990 to 2003

Ans. Human Genome Project

1. What type of transport membrane protein is used for transportation of water?

2. Which is the largest cell in the human body?

3. What is the secondary lymphoid tissue present in the small intestine?

4.What are the immune system proteins found in animals that interfere with viral proteins?

5. Contraction of gall bladder is induced by which hormone/enzyme?

6. Which polymer of fructose is not metabolized by the kidney?

7. Where are histamine-secreting cells found?

8. When does the heart of a foetus develop?

9. Name the two parts of the cerebral cortex that are linked to speech.

10. Name the vectors of dengue, malaria and filariasis respectively.

11. What are the three main ions responsible for generating membrane

potential?

12. What is a transport pump that generates voltage across a membrane?

Answers

1. Aquaporin

2.Ovum

3. Peyer's patch

4.Interferons

5. Cholecystokinin

6. Innulin

7. Connective tissue

8. 3-6 weeks

9. Broca's area and the Wernicke’s area

10. Aedes , Anopheles , Culex mosquito(es) Diethylcarbamazine (DEC)

11. K+, Na+, Ca2+

12. Electrogenic pump

1. What is the analogue of the companion cell of angiosperms in

gymnosperms?

2.In C3, primary carboxylation takes place with the help of?

3. Peroxisomes are involved in which type reactions pertaining to plant photosynthesis?

4. In the rainy season, doors get swelled up due to which phenomenon?

5. What is the formula of carotene?

6. Which plant hormone does coconut milk contain?

7. Loss of water by cells without external sign of leaf drooping is called ___________ wilting?

8. Azolla has symbiotic relationship with ?

9. A decrease in photosynthetic rate with increased availability of oxygen is known as?

10.Translocation of carbohydrate nutrients usually occurs in which form ?

11. Deficiency of which nutrients leads to chlorosis?

12.What is the pressure potential of a completely flaccid cell?

Answers

56

40

1. Albuminous cells

2. RuBP carboxylase

3. Glyoxylate cycle

4. Imbibition

5. C H

6. Cytokinin

7. Incipient wilting

8. Anabaena (BGA)

9. Warburg effect

10. Sucrose

11. Iron or Manganese (even Zinc can be considered correct)

12. 0 MPa

1. What is the respiratory pigment in cockroach blood?

2. Which class has the largest number of animals?

3. Typically, spiders’ blood is blue due to the presence of which pigment?

4.Sometimes parasites themselves are parasitised by other organisms.

What are such organisms called?

5. Which annelid shows colour changes during movement ?

6. Name the wood boring mollusc well known for causing damage to ships and docks.

7. Who divided the animal kingdom into two sub kingdoms (Protozoa and Metazoa) ?

8. Name the marine cartilaginous fish which can produce electric current.

9. Peripatus is the connecting link between which two phylla?

10. Which characteristic of birds represents their reptilian ancestry?

11. What is common between platypus, kangaroo and parrot?

12. In case of poriferans, the spongocoel is lined with flagellated cells known as?

Answers

1. None present

2. Insecta

3. Haemocyanin

4. Hyperparasite

5. Aphrodite

6. Teredo

7. Ernst Haeckel

8. Torpedo

9. Annelida and Arthropoda

10. Cledoic eggs

11. All are homeothermic animals

12. Choanocytes

1. Microfilaments are composed of which protein?

2.The properties of integral membrane proteins can be studied by microscopy

3. Name one place where amitosis occurs during cell division.

4.Which component of cell wall is normally in contact with plasmalemma?

5. Which is the best phase to study the (i) shape

(ii) size of chromosome?

6. Which cell organelle is involved in apoptosis?

7. Who discovered the lampbrush chromosome and in which organism ?

8. Name the chromosome pairs in human beings which have the SAT chromosome

9. Who proposed the fluid mosaic model of plasma membrane?

10. What is a tonoplast?

11. What does ‘S’ refer in a 70S & an 80S ribosome? Name both.

12. In which phase does crossing over occur?

Answers

1. Actin

2. Freeze-fracture technique and electron microscopy

3. Foetal membrane/cartilage/endosperm

4. Secondary wall

5. (i),(ii) Metaphase

6. Mitochondria

7. Rückert , in sharks

8. 13, 14, 15, 21, 22

9. Singer and Nicolson

10. Membrane which bounds the chief vacuole of a plant cell

11. Svedberg/ Sedimentation unit

12. Pachytene

1. Lactic dehydrogenase, which takes part in catalysis of

pyruvate lactate is an example of what type of enzyme?

2. Name the protein-RNA complex that is responsible for removal of

introns.

3. What is the set of proteins expressed as a cell or a group of cells called?

4.Koshland’s theory of enzyme action is known as

5. What do you call a mutant organism that requires additional nutrients

for its survival compared to other similar individuals of its species?

6. When the activity of one gene is suppressed by the activity of a non-allelic gene, it is known as ?

7. The vitamin nicotinamide can be synthesised in our body from which amino acid?

8. Polymerase Chain Reaction, or PCR was invented by which scientist?

9. What is the minimum number of amino acids required in a polypeptide for it to be called a protein?

10. Nickel is a component of which enzyme ?

11. What is the DNA molecule that has the ability to replicate autonomously called ?

12. A small amount of lethal mutation is always present in the population due to which phenomenon ?

Answers

1. Isoenzyme

2. Spliceosome

3. Proteome

4. Induced fit theory

5. Auxotroph

6. Epistasis

7. Tryptophan

8. Karry Mullis

9. 50

10. Urease

11. Replicon

12. Mutation-selection balance

Q 1.

When the tension in the muscle increases sharply

without a change in the length of muscle fibre it is called

Options

(a) Isotonic contraction

(b) Isometric contraction

(c) Isomyogenic contraction

(d) Isochoric contraction

Answer

(b) Isometric contraction