UPSC Essentials | Daily subject-wise quiz — Environment, Geography, Science and Technology (Week 33)

1. Mutations in mitochondrial DNA do not cause mitochondrial disorder.

2. These diseases are incurable and can be fatal within days if diagnosed in a newborn.

3. Mitochondrial diseases can affect almost any part of the body.

4. The three-person IVF procedure is known to help eliminate mitochondrial diseases that are passed on from mother to child.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) Only three

(d) All four

QUESTION 2

With reference to the “dancing frogs”, consider the following statements:

1. They are found in the north-eastern Himalayas.

2. The bigger the frog, the more they dance.

3. They breed after the yearly monsoon in fast-rushing streams.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) All three

(d) None

QUESTION 3

Pierre Agostini, Ferenc Krausz and Anne L’Huillier are announced as the winners of the 2023 Nobel Prize in Physics for:

(a) Experimental methods that generate attosecond pulses of light for the study of electron dynamics in matter.

(b) Experiments with entangled photons, establishing the violation of Bell inequalities and pioneering quantum information science.

(c) The physical modelling of Earth’s climate, quantifying variability and reliably predicting global warming.

(d) The discovery that black hole formation is a robust prediction of the general theory of relativity.

QUESTION 4

With reference to the white-bellied heron, consider the following statements:

1. Only males have two lace-like white plumes on the back of their neck.

2. The species is found in the western ghats.

3. It is categorised as “vulnerable” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

How many of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) All three

(d) None

QUESTION 5

With reference to the Advanced Liquid Processing System (AEPS), consider the following statements:

1. It is a filtration system used to dilute the contaminated water using seawater.

2. It can remove all radioactive contaminants from the water.

Which of the statement(s) given above is/are not correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

ANSWERS TO THE MCQs

1. (c)

FYI:

— Mitochondria or the power membrane of a cell are unique; they have their own DNA called mitochondrial DNA, or mtDNA.

— Mutations in mtDNA or in nuclear DNA (DNA found in the nucleus of a cell) can cause mitochondrial disorder. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.

— Mitochondrial diseases are chronic (long-term), genetic, often inherited disorders that occur when mitochondria fail to produce enough energy for the body to function properly.

— Mitochondrial diseases can affect almost any part of the body, including the cells of the brain, nerves, muscles, kidneys, heart, liver, eyes, ears or pancreas. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

— The symptoms of mitochondrial diseases can include poor growth, muscle weakness, muscle pain, low muscle tone, exercise intolerance, vision and/or hearing problems, learning disabilities, delays in development, swallowing difficulties, diarrhea or constipation, unexplained vomiting, cramping, reflux, etc.

— Notably, mitochondrial diseases are incurable and can be fatal within days or even hours of birth, if diagnosed in a newborn. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

— The three-person IVF procedure is known to help eliminate mitochondrial diseases that are passed on from mother to child. Hence, statement 4 is correct.

Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.

2. (b)

FYI:

— Scientists have discovered 14 new species of so-called dancing frogs in the jungle mountains of southern India, just in time to witness their extinction, they fear.

— Biologists say they discovered the tiny acrobatic amphibians, named after the unusual kicks they use to attract mates, declining dramatically in number over the course of 12 years.

— They breed after the yearly monsoon in fast-rushing streams, but their habitat appears to be becoming increasingly dry. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

— They’re found exclusively in the Western Ghats, a lush mountain range that stretches 1,600 kilometers (990 miles) from the western state of Maharashtra down to the country’s southern tip. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.

— Only the males dance – it’s actually a unique breeding behavior called foot-flagging.

— The bigger the frog, the more they dance. They also use those leg extensions to smack away other males – an important feature considering the sex ratio for the amphibians is usually around 100 males to one female. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.

3. (a)

FYI:

— The Nobel Prize in Physics for 2023 has gone to three scientists, Pierre Agostini, Ferenc Krausz and Anne L’Huillier, whose work made it easier to observe electrons, and which has potential applications in the field of diagnosing diseases and developing electronic gadgets.

— The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has decided to award the Nobel Prize in Physics 2023 to Pierre Agostini, Ferenc Krausz and Anne L’Huillier “for experimental methods that generate attosecond pulses of light for the study of electron dynamics in matter.”

What have the scientists done?

— An atom, a tiny unit into which matter can be divided, is composed of a nucleus of protons and neutrons, and electrons that travel around this nucleus. Electrons move so fast that it is impossible to observe them in real time.

— The work of L’Huillier, Agostini, and Krausz has brought humanity closer to observing and studying the movement of electrons, by producing pulses of light that last only attoseconds, which is 1×10−18 of a second.

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

(Other Source: http://www.nobelprize.org)

4. (d)

FYI:

— A video of a critically endangered white-bellied heron spotted in the Kamlang Tiger Reserve in Arunachal Pradesh’s Lohit district has surfaced online.

— The white-bellied heron is mainly dark greyish with contrasting white throat, belly and vent, white-streaked scapulars, fore neck and upper breast.

— According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), both males and females have two lace-like white plumes on the back of their neck. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.

— The species, Ardea insignis, is found in the eastern Himalayan foothills of Bhutan, Northeast India to the hills of Bangladesh, north Myanmar, and west central Myanmar. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.

— According to the IUCN, the heron is critically endangered due to its extremely small and rapidly declining population. Their population is expected to decline further as a result of the loss and degradation of lowland forests and wetlands. Hence, statement 3 is not correct.

Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.

5. (a)

FYI:

— Several reactors at the nuclear power plant melted down after the 2011 earthquake and tsunami. Since then, workers at the now-defunct plant have been cooling the reactors by using water, which becomes contaminated.

— Japan is using a filtration system called the Advanced Liquid Processing System (ALPS) which can remove all radioactive contaminants from the water except tritium. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.

— Tritium is a form of hydrogen occurring naturally in the Earth’s atmosphere and is part of water. So creating a filter to separate it from the contaminated water is not possible.

— According to Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings (TEPCO), to tackle the situation, it will dilute the contaminated water using seawater to ensure that the concentration levels of tritium are well below the safety standards. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

Previous Daily Subject-Wise-Quiz

Daily subject-wise quiz — Polity and Governance (Week 33)

Daily Subject-wise quiz — History, Culture, and Social Issues (Week 33)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Environment, Geography, Science and Technology (Week 32)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Economy (Week 32)

Daily subject-wise quiz – International Relations (Week 32)

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