1.

Phenylketonuria is a metabolic error caused by a/an

(a) defect in exocrine glands 

(b) defecient intake of iodine and molybdenum a micro mineral

(c) inherited lack of enzyme

(d) excessive intake of aspartame an artificial sweetner

2.

Biological ice nucleation can be found in

1. Fungi

2. Bacteria

3. Lichen

(a) 1, 2 and 3

(b) 1 and 3 only

(c) 1 and 2 only

(d) 1 only

3.

The diagram shows an important concept in the genetic implication of DNA as proposed by Francis Crick.

A & B are respectively

(a) transcription & replication

(b) translation & transcription

(c)  transcription & translation

(d) translation & elongation

4.

1. It has RNA genome.

2. It is associated with microcephaly.

Which of the above statements is/are correct w.r.t.  Zika Virus?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2  

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

5.

A woman suffers from colour blindness while her husband does not suffer from it. They have a son and a daughter. In this context, which one of the following statements is most probably correct?   

(a) Both children suffer from colour blindness 

(b) Daughter suffers from colour blindness while son does not suffer from it 

(c) Both children do not suffer from colour blindness 

(d) Son suffers from colour blindness while daughter does not suffer from it

6.

1. Aedes aegypti is a mosquito species that prefers to feed on humans, mostly around the ankles.

2. Pregnant women attract a disproportionately large number of mosquitoes.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2  

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

7.

I. It is a bryophyte.

II. It has blue green alage.

Which of the above statements is/are true w.r.t. Azolla?

(a) Only I

(b) Only II

(c) Both I & II

(d) Neither I nor II

8.

With reference to craton, consider the following statements:

1. It is a large area of exposed Precambrian-age crystalline igneous and high-grade metamorphic rocks that form tectonically stable areas.

2. Daitari Greenstone Belt contains cratons.

3. It is a stable part of the continental lithosphere, which consists of Earth’s two topmost layers, the crust and the uppermost mantle.

Which among the above statements are correct?

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 2 and 3 only

(c) 1 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

9.

Exagamglogene autotemcel is an/a

(a) Asteroid

(b) Gene Therapy

(c) Ant species found in Antartica

(d) AI monitored cancer cell

10.

Which of the following statements is/are incorrect?

1. Viruses lack enzymes necessary for the generation of energy.

2. Viruses can be cultured in any synthetic medium.

3. Viruses are transmitted from one organism to another by biological vectors only.

Select the correct answer using the codes given below.

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 and 3 only

(c) 1 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

11.

With reference to the evolution of living organisms, which one of the following sequences is correct?

(a) Octopus – Dolphin – Shark

(b) Pangolin – Tortoise – Hawk

(c) Salamander – Python – Kangaroo

(d) Frog – Crab – Prawn

12.

Consider the following.

I. Alcohol intake increases the secretion of vasopressin in the body.

II. Drinking alcohol can have a diuretic effect.

III. Moderate alcohol consumption enhances the immunity.

Which of the statements given above is/are the correct?.

(a) Only I & II

(b) Only II & III

(c) I. II & III

(d) II only

13.

Which of the following is/are true w.r.t. mRNA?

1. Cells have natural ability to destroy mRNA when they aren’t needed.

2. mRNA carries complementary genetic code copied, from DNA during transcription, in the form of triplets of nucleotides.

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

14.

Assertion (A): Human diet should compulsorily contain glycine, serine and tyrosin.  

Reason (R): Essential amino acids cannot be synthesized in the human body.  

(a) Both (A) and (R) are true and (R) is the correct explanation of (A) 

(b) Both (A) and (R) are true, but (R) is not the correct explanation of (A) 

(c) (A) is true, but (R) is false 

(d) (A) is false, but (R) is true

15.

Madcow disease is caused by    

(a) Bacteria

(b) Virus 

(c) Fungus

(d) Prions

16.

Consider the following statements w.r.t. human papillomavirus.

1. It is a DNA virus.

2. It can cause throat or rectum cancer.

(a) Both 1 and 2 are true

(b) Only 1 is true

(c) Only 2 is true

(d) Neither 1 nor 2 is true

17.

Thylacine seen in news refer to a/an

(a) extinct marsupial

(b) TB Drug

(c) medicine for Goiter

(d) aminoacid

18.

1. It is caused by excessive consumption of Mustard oil.

2. It is a neurodegenerative disorder.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct w.r.t. Lathyrism?  

(a) Only 1

(b) Only 2 

(c) Both 1 and 2 

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

19.

Which of the following is not an application of Polymerase Chain Reaction?

(a) Detection of Gene Mutation

(b) Molecular diagnosis

(c) Gene amplification

(d) Purification of protein

20.

W.r.t. Mosquitoes:

1. Only males suck blood

2. Only females suck blood

3. Females suck plant juices

4. Males have bigger wings than females

5. Females have bigger wings than males

(a) Only 2 and 4 are correct

(b) Only 1 and 2 are correct

(c) Only 3 and 5 are correct

(d) Only 2 and 5 are correct

21.

''Sanger'' sequencing method refer to

(a) Planting method of Rice

(b) DNA sequencing

(c) Hormonal lineation

(d) Communication method among ants

22.

1. Tamarin

2. Marmoset

3. Langur

4. Gibbon

Which one of the above is/are monkeys?

(a) 1 and 3

(b) 1, 2 and 3

(c) 1, 3 and 4

(d) 3 only

23.

Identify the correct statement(s) about Green Anacondas.

1. They are venomous.

2. They are the world’s heaviest snakes.

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

24.

1. It contains high caffeine.

2. It is extracted from the floral petals.

Which of the above statements is/are correct w.r.t.  “Chicory” used in coffee?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2  

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

25.

I. Phosphine is considered a “biosignature” of venus.

II. Stromatolites are not bio-signatures.

Which of the above statements is/are true w.r.t. bio-signatures?.

(a) Only I

(b) Only II

(c) Both I & II

(d) Neither I nor II

1.

https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/variety/details-about-aspartame-sweetener-the-possible-carcinogen-to-humans/article67027041.ece

https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/health/four-generic-made-in-india-drugs-to-treat-rare-diseases-offer-relief-for-patients-more-in-pipeline/article67570839.ece

Phenylketonuria (PKU) is a rare but potentially serious inherited disorder. The body breaks down protein in foods like meat and fish into amino acids, which are the "building blocks" of protein. These amino acids are then used to make its own proteins. Any amino acids that aren''t needed are broken down further and removed from the body. People with PKU can''t break down the amino acid phenylalanine, which then builds up in the blood and brain. This can lead to brain damage. Without treatment, PKU can damage the brain and nervous system, which can lead to learning disabilities.

C

2.

https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/fusarium-acuminatum-biological-ice-nucleation-study/article67751963.ece

A

3.

The process by which RNA is synthesised from DNA is transcription. Hence, A is transcription.

The process by which proteins are made from mRNA is translation. Hence, B is translation.

This scheme represents Central dogma of molecular biology which was proposed by Francis Crick.

https://www.vedantu.com/biology/central-dogma-of-molecular-biology

C

4.

 https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/zika-outbreak-hralth-ministry-prevention-treatment-5405278/

https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/zika-virus-outbreak-genome-sequencing-insights/article67501092.ece

A

5.

Colour blindness is hereditary disorder which can be transferred from parents to children. It is a recessive X linked mutation. If a woman inherits a normal X chromosome in addition to the one which carries the mutation, she will not express the mutation. Males only have one X chromosome, they have no spare normal chromosome to override the chromosome which carries the mutation. So, a male with the defective allele will express the disease too.

If a mother is suffering from Red/green colour blindness, then she is homozygous, i.e. both the X chromosomes carry the defective gene. So, when she passes on the X chromosomes to children, they get a defective copy of that gene. Thus, the son becomes colour blind as he has only one defective X chromosome and daughter becomes carrier as she gets a good copy of X chromosome from the father.

D

6.

https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/why-are-some-people-mosquito-magnets-and-others-unbothered-a-medical-entomologist-points-to-metabolism-body-odour-and-mindset/article65878341.ece

C

7.

Azolla, also known as mosquito fern, is used as a biofertilizer because it has a symbiotic relationship with nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria. The cyanobacteria, Anabaena azollae, lives on the leaves of Azolla and can fix atmospheric nitrogen. This nitrogen-fixing ability increases the fertility of the soil and enhances crop yields. Azolla is a small aquatic fern that grows on the surface of water or moist soil. It is used as a biofertilizer for rice in Asia. Azolla can be grown as a green manure before transplanting rice or as an intercrop with the rice. Both practices are reported to increase the growth and yield of rice. Azolla is also used as animal feed, human food, medicine, and water purifier.

B

8.

A craton is a part of a continent that is stable and forms the central mass of the continent. The craton region of North America includes the region between the Rocky Mountains (to the west) and the Appalachian Mountains (to the east) and include the Canadian Shield.

A shield is a large area of exposed Precambrian-age crystalline igneous and high-grade metamorphic rocks that form tectonically stable areas. In all cases, the age of these rocks is greater than 570 million years and sometimes dates back 2 to over 4 billion years. For instance: the Canadian Shield is part of the North American craton region. Shallow inland seas have flooded over and retreated from North America''s craton/shield region in the past billion years.

https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/india-has-similar-geologic-history-to-parts-of-south-africa-australia-study/article66960121.ece

https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/earths-early-evolution-fresh-insights-from-rocks-formed-35-billion-years-ago/article67874005.ece

B

9.

https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/crispr-casgevy-sickle-cell-disease-genetic-therapeutics-explained/article67641478.ece

B

10.

Unlike Bacteria, viruses cannot be grown in a synthetic medium. They are grown in living cells.

Viruses are transmitted from one organism to another by both biological vectors such as mosquitoes and mechanical vectors such as flies.

Viruses cannot generate their own energy as they lack metabolic enzymes.

B

11.

Sequence of Evolutionary Stages: Single celled → Multi cellular → Fishes → Amphibians → Reptiles →Birds → Mammals.

Octopus (Mollusc); Dolphins and Whales (Mammals); Shark (Fish)

Pangolin (Mammal); Tortoise (Reptile); Hawk (Bird).

Salamander (Amphibian) – Python (Reptile) –Kangaroo (Mammal). This sequence follows the correct sequence of evolutionary stages.

Frog (Amphibian); Crab (Crustaceans); Prawn (Crustaceans).

https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-and-environment/two-of-every-five-amphibians-threatened-with-extinction-reveals-study/article67383443.ece

C

12.

Urination can be induced within some minutes after a person consumes alcohol because when the kidney filters the waste, the capillaries constrict and affects the filtering ability of the kidney. When the body needs to conserve water, the pituitary gland excretes a hormone called vasopressin, which causes the nephron filters to become permeable retaining more water in the bloodstream and allowing less water to be excreted in the urine. Alcohol decreases vasopressin secretion.

https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/moderate-alcohol-consumption-has-no-health-benefits/article67054242.ece

https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/science/no-safe-limit-of-alcohol-consumption-for-health-who-analysis-shows/article66364556.ece

D

13.

https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/mrna-vaccines-cancer-personalised-medicine/article67650001.ece

https://bio.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Microbiology/Microbiology_(OpenStax)/10%3A_Biochemistry_of_the_Genome/10.03%3A_Structure_and_Function_of_RNA

C

14.

D

15.

https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/mad-cow-disease-details-mad-cow-disease-case-halts-brazil-s-beef-exports-to-china-what-is-it-101677111465819.html

D

16.

https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-health/explained-cervavac-indias-first-indigenously-developed-vaccine-for-cervical-cancer-8125663/

https://www.webmd.com/sexual-conditions/hpv-genital-warts/hpv-virus-information-about-human-papillomavirus

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a small, non-enveloped deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) virus that infects skin or mucosal cells. The circular, double-stranded viral genome is approximately 8-kb in length.

A

17.

https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/in-a-first-rna-is-recovered-from-extinct-tasmanian-tiger/article67333815.ece

A

18.

https://scroll.in/magazine/1044336/the-chequered-history-of-a-dangerous-dal-eaten-by-the-poor-across-india

Lathyrus is nutritionally rich and tolerant to different kinds of environmental stress, and it could be included in human meals or used to feed animals. In India, Lathyrus is banned due to its proposed neurotoxicity. However, the literature suggests that alone, Lathyrus cannot cause Lathyrism. Other factors like environmental factors such as availability of water in paddy fields, associated genetic disorders, and metal content of soil decide the amount of beta-N-oxalyl-amino-L-alanine and Oxalyl-diamino-propionic acid (ODAP) in Lathyrus seeds and its effects.

B

19.

· PCR can be used to detect mutations in genes in suspected cancer patients too. It is a powerful technique to identify many other genetic disorders.

· Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) is a technique that serves the purpose of early diagnosis. A low concentration of a bacteria or virus (at a time when the symptoms of the disease are not yet visible) can be detected by amplification of their nucleic acid by PCR.   PCR-based assays have been developed that detect the presence of gene sequences of the infectious agents. 

The PCR technique is based on the enzymatic replication of DNA. In PCR, a short segment of DNA is amplified using primer-mediated enzymes. DNA Polymerase synthesizes new strands of DNA complementary to the template DNA.

Purification of isolated protein cannot be done by PCR. The most widely used method for protein purification is affinity chromatography, which separates proteins based on their specific interaction with a matrix.

D

20.

https://www.cdc.gov/mosquitoes/about/what-is-a-mosquito.html

D

21.

https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/agri-business/rubber-board-to-provide-sanger-dna-sequencing-services/article65070319.ece

C

22.

·    Apes (Hominoidea) are a branch of Old World tailless simians native to Africa and Southeast Asia. They are divided into Greater Apes and Lesser Apes. The Greater Apes family is Hominidae, with subfamily comprising of gorillas, hominoids and chimps, whereas Lesser Apes belong to family of Hylobatidae. For example, Bonobos, Pygmy Chimpanzee, Gibbon, Orangutan etc.

·    The gorilla, chimpanzee, gibbon, and orangutan are called great apes in recognition of their comparatively large size and humanlike features.

·    Monkeys and apes are both primates, which means they both are parts of the human family tree. The quickest way to tell the difference between a monkey and an ape is by the presence or absence of a tail. Almost all monkeys have tails, but apes do not.

·    Their bodies are different in other ways too – monkeys are generally smaller and narrow-chested, while apes are larger and have broad chests and shoulder joints that allow them to swing through trees.

·    Gray langurs or Indian langurs are a group of Old World monkeys native to the Indian subcontinent constituting the entirety of the genus Semnopithecus. Gray langurs are fairly terrestrial, inhabiting forests, open light wooded habitats, and urban areas of the Indian subcontinent.

·    Most species are found at low to moderate altitudes, but the Nepal gray langur and Kashmir gray langur are found up to 4,000 m in the Himalayas.

·    Hoollongapar Gibbon Sanctuary, formerly known as Gibbon Wildlife Sanctuary, is located in Assam''s Jorhat district, India.

·    Established in 1997, it boasts a rich biodiversity, housing India''s only gibbons, the western Hoolock hoolock, and the Bengal slow loris, the sole nocturnal primate in Northeastern India.

https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/marmoset-monkeys-seized-at-chennai-airport/article66592259.ece

https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Mangalore/new-world-monkeys-and-exotic-birds-introduced-at-pilikula-biological-park/article67517556.ece

B

23.

https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/scientists-find-the-worlds-biggest-snake-yet-a-new-species-of-green-anaconda/article67866210.ece

B

24.

Chicory powder is made from the root of the chicory plant, Dithorium intybus. The root is dried, roasted, and ground up, to produce a naturally decaffeinated dark brown powder. Chicory’s flavour is similar to that of coffee, although it tastes a bit more roasted and has a sweeter aroma.

Coffee Varieties in India

A recent study in the journal ‘Nature Communications, reported that genetically cultivated Arabica coffees offer better brews.

• Coffee – A health drink particularly when mixed with hot milk.
• Growing conditions
• Hot and humid climate, Temperature 15°C to 28°C, and Rainfall 150 to 250 cm.
• Well-drained loamy soils, fertile volcanic red earth, and presence of humus and minerals (iron, calcium).
• Origin – It came from Ethiopia, where they called it qahve.
• Development in India – Arab traders introduced this with coffee plantations in South India and Sri Lanka.
• A Sufi, Baba Budan, grew coffee plants around Chikamagaluru, Karnataka.
• Coffee varieties in India

• Chicory coffee – It is made from minced and roasted chicory root which is an herb native to Europe and Asia.
• India is the 3rd largest producer of chicory which is grown in far Eastern states (Assam, Meghalaya, Sikkim).  
• It has lower content of caffeine.

Caffeine is a molecule that stimulates the central nervous system.

Kumbakonam Degree Coffee is famous because of its pure Arabica variety without usage of Chicory. Kumbakonam is a city in Tamil Nadu.

D

25.

https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/india-geoheritage-sites-jhamarkotra-and-zawar-protection/article66630686.ece

https://newspaceeconomy.ca/2023/08/29/what-are-biosignatures-and-why-are-they-important/

https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/reading-life-signature-on-venus-phosphine-gas-6596355/

A