Q1. The applications of nano-technology in agriculture sector include:

 1) Delivery of pesticides, fertilizers and other agrochemicals more efficiently.

 2) Monitoring soil conditions and crop growth

 3) Detection of animal and plant pathogens

 4) Delivery of growth hormones in a controlled manner

 Select the correct answer code:

1. 1, 2, 3
2. 1, 3, 4
3. 2, 3, 4
4. 1, 2, 3, 4

 Solution: (D)

Q2. Consider the following statements regarding Avian influenza or Bird flu:

 1) It is a highly contagious viral disease caused by Influenza Type A viruses.

 2) Avian influenza does not affect the egg production in poultry birds.

 3) Bird flu can be spread through their droppings while flying.

 Which of the above statements is/are correct?

1. 1 only
2. 1, 2
3. 1, 3
4. 1, 2, 3

 Solution: (C)

What is avian influenza or bird flu?

 It is a highly contagious viral disease caused by Influenza Type A viruses which generally affects poultry birds such as chickens and turkeys.

 There are many strains of the virus – some of them are mild and may merely cause a low egg production or other mild symptoms among chickens, while others are severe and lethal.

How does the bird flu spread?

 Wild aquatic birds such as ducks and geese are the natural reservoir of Influenza A viruses and the central players in the ecology of these viruses.

 Many birds carry the flu without developing sickness, and shed it in their droppings. o Since birds excrete even while flying, they provide “a nice aerosol of influenza virus, shedding it all over the world”

Q3. Consider the following statements:

 1) Antibodies bind to the surface structures of bacteria or viruses and prevent their replication.

 2) Nanobodies are antibody fragments that can be produced by bacteria or yeast.

3) Producing Nanobodies is difficult and time-consuming and therefore not suitable for widespread use.

 Which of the above statements is/are correct:

1. 1, 2
2. 1 only C. 2, 3
3. 1,

 Solution: (A)

An international research team led by the University of Bonn has identified and further developed novel antibody fragments against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19.

 These “nanobodies” are much smaller than classic antibodies — and they, therefore, penetrate the tissue better and can be produced more easily in larger quantities.

 Antibodies are an important weapon in the immune system’s defense against infections.

 They bind to the surface structures of bacteria or viruses and prevent their replication.

 One strategy in the fight against disease is therefore to produce effective antibodies in large quantities and inject them into patients.

 However, producing antibodies is difficult and time-consuming; they are, therefore, probably not suitable for widespread use.

 Nanobodies are antibody fragments that are so simple that they can be produced by bacteria or yeast, which is less expensive.

Q4. Consider the following statements regarding 5G Technology:

• 5G or fifth generation is the latest upgrade in the long-term evolution (LTE) mobile broadband networks

 2) 5G only works in high frequency spectrum.

  3) 5G is set to be as much as 100 times faster than 4G.

 Which of the above statements is/are correct?

1. 1, 2
2. 1 only
3. 2, 3
4. 1, 3

 Solution: (D)

 5G or fifth generation is the latest upgrade in the long-term evolution (LTE) mobile broadband networks.

 5G mainly works in 3 bands, namely low, mid and high frequency spectrum — all of which have their own uses as well as limitations.

 With speeds of up to 100 gigabits per second, 5G is set to be as much as 100 times faster than 4G.

Q5. Pneumoconiosis, sometimes seen in news is related to:

1. High levels of fat in the blood
2. Black lung disease
3. High blood glucose levels
4. Tuberculosis

 Solution: (B)

 Coal mine workers and communities around coal mines face many adverse diseases, prominent among them pneumoconiosis (commonly known as black lung disease) due to the inhalation of coal dust, as well as diseases due to polluted drinking water.

Q6. Prime editing, sometimes seen in news is related to:

1. 3D printing Technology
2. Editing subatomic particles in Quantum communication
3. Block chain Technology
4. Genome editing technology

 Solution: (D)

 Prime editing is a ‘search-and-replace’ genome editing technology in molecular biology by which the genome of living organisms may be modified.

 The technology directly writes new genetic information into a targeted DNA site.

Q7. Quantum Technology is based on the principles of Quantum mechanics developed in the early 20th century to describe nature at the scale of atoms and elementary particles. Quantum technology is manifested through applications in:

 1) Secure communication

 2) Disaster management

 3) Healthcare

 4) Cryptography

 5) Understand biological phenomena such as photosynthesis.

 Select the correct answer code:

1. 1, 2, 3, 4
2. 1, 3, 4, 5
3. 2, 3, 4, 5
4. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

 Solution: (D)

 Quantum Technology is based on the principles of Quantum mechanics developed in the early 20th century to describe nature at the scale of atoms and elementary particles.

 Using quantum superposition, a set of unbreakable codes or super-speedy information processing, quantum computers are able to mimic several classical computers working in parallel.

 Quantum technology is manifested through applications in secure communication, disaster management through better prediction, computing, simulation, chemistry, healthcare, cryptography, imaging among others.

 Scientists have expanded quantum theory to understand biological phenomena such as smell, consciousness, enzyme catalysis, photosynthesis, avian navigation like that of the Robin, origin of life and effects on corona virus.

Q8. Two different subtypes of the bird flu virus or avian influenza (H5N1 and H5N8), was detected recently.

 Consider the following statements regarding this:

 1) Influenza A viruses are divided into subtypes on the basis of two proteins on the surface of the virus.

 2) All known subtypes of influenza A viruses will infect birds.

 Which of the above statements is/are correct:

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2

 Solution: (A)

 Influenza A viruses are divided into subtypes on the basis of two proteins on the surface of the virus: hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA).

 There are 18 known HA subtypes and 11 known NA subtypes.

 Many different combinations of HA and NA proteins are possible.

 For example, an “H7N2 virus” designates an influenza A virus subtype that has an HA 7 protein and an NA 2 protein.

 Similarly, an “H5N1” virus has an HA 5 protein and an NA 1 protein.

 All known subtypes of influenza A viruses can infect birds, except subtypes H17N10 and H18N11, which have only been found in bats.

 Only two influenza A virus subtypes (i.e., H1N1, and H3N2) are currently in general circulation among people.

 Some subtypes are found in other infected animal species.

 For example, H7N7 and H3N8 virus infections can cause illness in horses, and H3N8 virus infection cause illness in horses and dogs.

Q9. Consider the following statements:

 1) Polio was the first disease to be eradicated through a vaccine.

 2) In recent times, ‘vaccine hesitancy’ is increasingly cited as a cause behind measles outbreaks, especially in western countries.

 Which of the above statements is/are correct?

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2

 Solution: (B)

 The smallpox vaccine, introduced by Edward Jenner in 1796, was the first successful vaccine to be developed.

 Named one of the 10 greatest health threats of 2019 by the World Health Organization, ‘vaccine hesitancy’ is increasingly cited as a cause behind measles outbreaks.

 Vaccine hesitancy is a delay in acceptance, or outright refusal of vaccines despite having access to vaccination services.

Q10. The term ‘Muon’ recently seen in news is a:

1. Crypto currency
2. Malware
3. Subatomic particle
4. Newly discovered Earth-size planet

 Solution: (C)

 Newly published results of an international experiment hint at the possibility of new physics governing the laws of nature, scientists say.

 The results of the experiment, which studied a subatomic particle called the muon, do not match the predictions of the Standard Model, on which all particle physics is based, and instead reconfirm a discrepancy that had been detected in an experiment 20 years previously.

 The muon g-2 experiment:

 Fermilab, which houses the American particle accelerator, has released the first results from its ‘muon g2’ experiment.

 These results spotlight the anomalous behaviour of the elementary particle called the muon.

 The muon, a heavier cousin of the electron, is expected to have a value of 2 for its magnetic moment, labelled ‘g’.

 However, the muon exists not in isolation but embedded in a sea where particles are popping out and vanishing every instant due to quantum effects.

 So, its g value is altered by its interactions with these short-lived excitations.