UPSC Essentials | Daily subject-wise quiz : Environment, Geography, Sci-Tech MCQs on HeLa cells, Pralay missile and more (Week 56)

1. These were the first human cells to be successfully cloned and were used to test the polio vaccine.

2. These cells helped in identifying the human papilloma virus (HPV) as being the main cause of many forms of cervical cancer.

Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

QUESTION 2

Hormuz Strait was recently in news. It connects:

(a) Mediterranean Sea and Black Sea

(b) Black Sea and Aral Sea

(c) Gulf of Oman and Red Sea

(d) Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman

QUESTION 3

With reference to the ‘Pralay’ missile, consider the following statements:

1. It is a surface-to-air missile.

2. It follows the desired quasi ballistic trajectory.

3. The Missile is powered by a liquid propellant rocket motor.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) All three

(d) None

QUESTION 4

The Kawah Ijen volcano was in news due to its fiery eruptions. It is located in:

(a) Taiwan

(b) Indonesia

(c) Iceland

(d) United States

QUESTION 5

Lake Titicaca was in news. It is located in:

1. Peru

2. Bolivia

3. Chili

4. Brazil

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

(a) 1 and 2

(b) 2 and 3

(c) 1, 2 and 3

(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4

ANSWERS TO THE MCQs

1. (c)

FYI:

— The HeLa cell line is one of the most important cell lines in the history of medical science and has been the foundation for some of the most significant advances in this field.

— HeLa cells were the first successfully cloned human cells, and Jonas Salk used them to test the polio vaccine. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

— Furthermore, they contributed to the identification of the human papillomavirus (HPV) as the primary cause of many types of cervical cancer, including the one that killed Lacks, and were instrumental in the development of the HPV vaccine, which earned its creator, Harald zur Hausen, the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 2008. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.

2. (d)

FYI:

— The head of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard fleet stated that Israel’s presence in the United Arab Emirates was considered as a danger by Tehran, and that the Strait of Hormuz might be closed if required.

— The Strait of Hormuz connects Oman and Iran.

— It connects the Gulf to the north, the Gulf of Oman to the south, and the Arabian Sea beyond.

— It is 21 miles (33 km) broad at its narrowest point, with the shipping channel only two miles (three kilometres) wide in either direction.

— Almost a fifth of the world’s oil goes through the Strait, or 17.2 million barrels per day (bpd), compared to consumption of approximately 100 million bpd in 2017.

— OPEC members Saudi Arabia, Iran, the UAE, Kuwait, and Iraq export the majority of their crude across the Strait.

— Qatar, the world’s largest liquefied natural gas (LNG) exporter, transports nearly all of its LNG via the Strait.

Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.

3. (a)

FYI:

— India successfully conducted the second flight test of indigenously developed surface-to-surface missile ‘Pralay’ off the Odisha coast. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.

— The new missile followed the required quasi-ballistic trajectory and arrived at its target with excellent precision, confirming the control, guidance, and mission algorithms. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

— The missile is propelled by a solid propellant rocket motor and a variety of novel technology. Hence, statement 3 is not correct.

— The missile has a range of 150-500 km and can be launched from a mobile launcher.

— The missile guidance system features advanced navigation and integrated avionics.

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

(Other Source: http://www.pib.gov.in)

4. (b)

FYI:

— The Kawah Ijen volcano, located on the Indonesian island of Java, has made news for more than just its violent eruptions.

— The Kawah Ijen volcano is spouting lava that is not the typical fiery red, but an unearthly electric blue.

— The striking electric blue lava of Kawah Ijen is caused by the burning of sulfuric gases emitted from the volcano’s depths.

— When sulphur gases react with oxygen-rich air, they produce ethereal blue flames.

Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.

5. (a)

FYI:

— More than half of the world’s large lakes and reservoirs have declined since the early 1990s, primarily due to climate change, raising concerns about water availability for agriculture, hydropower, and human use.

— A team of worldwide experts discovered that some of the world’s most important freshwater sources, ranging from the Caspian Sea between Europe and Asia to South America’s Lake Titicaca, had lost water at a cumulative pace of approximately 22 gigatonnes per year for nearly three decades.

— They discovered that excessive human usage, changes in rainfall and run-off, sedimentation, and rising temperatures had all contributed to a global drop in lake levels, with 53% of lakes declining between 1992 and 2020.

— Lake Titicaca is located on the border of Peru and Bolivia.

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

Previous Daily Subject-Wise-Quiz

Daily subject-wise quiz — Polity and Governance (Week 56)

Daily Subject-wise quiz — History, Culture, and Social Issues (Week 56)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Environment, Geography, Science and Technology (Week 55)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Economy (Week 55)

Daily subject-wise quiz – International Relations (Week 55)

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