Explanation: Acids do not turn red litmus to blue; instead, they turn blue litmus paper red. Acids are sour in taste, corrosive in nature, and have a pH value less than 7. Therefore, the statement that acids turn red litmus to blue is incorrect.

Explanation: Insulin is a hormone secreted by the beta (β) cells of the Islets of Langerhans in the pancreas. Its main function is to regulate the blood glucose level by promoting the uptake of glucose into cells and converting excess glucose into glycogen in the liver and muscles. A deficiency or lack of insulin causes diabetes mellitus, leading to high blood sugar levels. The pancreas also secretes glucagon, which performs the opposite function by increasing blood glucose levels.

Explanation: Photosynthesis is the process by which green plants, algae, and some bacteria use sunlight to convert carbon dioxide (CO₂) and water (H₂O) into glucose (C₆H₁₂O₆) and oxygen (O₂). This process takes place in the chloroplasts of plant cells, which contain the green pigment chlorophyll that captures solar energy.

Chemical Equation:

6CO₂ + 6H₂O → C₆H₁₂O₆ + 6O₂

Thus, plants are known as autotrophs because they produce their own food using light energy — a process vital for sustaining all life on Earth.

Explanation: The human retina contains two types of photoreceptor cells — rods and cones. Cones are concentrated in the central part of the retina (fovea) and are sensitive to different wavelengths of light — red, green, and blue. These enable colour vision and visual acuity in bright light. Rods, on the other hand, function in dim light and provide black-and-white vision.

Explanation: Respiration is a biochemical process in which food molecules (mainly glucose) are oxidized to release energy in the form of ATP (adenosine triphosphate). This energy is then used for various life processes such as movement, growth, repair, and maintenance. Respiration occurs in all living cells and takes place mainly inside the mitochondria.

Chemical Equation:

C₆H₁₂O₆ + 6O₂ → 6CO₂ + 6H₂O + Energy (ATP)

In contrast, photosynthesis stores energy in glucose molecules, while respiration releases that stored energy for cellular use.

Explanation: Plants absorb nitrogen from the soil mainly in the form of nitrates (NO₃⁻). Inside the plant, nitrates are reduced to nitrites (NO₂⁻) and then to ammonia (NH₃) through the action of specific reductase enzymes. The ammonia thus formed is then used to synthesize amino acids, proteins, nucleic acids, and other nitrogen-containing compounds necessary for plant growth.

Simplified Pathway:

NO₃⁻ → NO₂⁻ → NH₃ → Amino acids → Proteins

Explanation: Acid rain is caused by the presence of pollutant gases such as sulphur dioxide (SO₂) and nitrogen oxides (NOₓ) in the atmosphere. These gases are released mainly from burning of coal, oil, and industrial emissions. When they combine with water vapor in the atmosphere, they form sulphuric acid (H₂SO₄) and nitric acid (HNO₃), which fall to the ground as acid rain. It damages soil, plants, aquatic life, and even buildings and monuments made of marble or limestone.

Explanation: Mitochondria are double-membraned organelles found in almost all eukaryotic cells. They are known as the 'power house of the cell' because they generate adenosine triphosphate (ATP) through the process of cellular respiration. The inner membrane forms folds called cristae, which increase the surface area for enzyme activity related to energy production. Mitochondria also contain their own DNA and ribosomes, enabling them to produce some of their own proteins.

Key Reaction:

Glucose + Oxygen → Carbon dioxide + Water + ATP

Oxygen is transported to the body’s cells by Red Blood Cells (RBCs). RBCs contain a special iron-containing pigment called hemoglobin, which has the ability to bind oxygen in the lungs and release it in body tissues where it is needed for cellular respiration. This process ensures that all body cells receive the oxygen required to produce energy (ATP).

Other options (for context)

• White Blood Cells (WBCs): Defend the body against infections and diseases, but do not carry oxygen.
• Hormones: Chemical messengers that regulate body functions, not involved in oxygen transport.
• Enzymes: Biological catalysts that speed up chemical reactions, not oxygen carriers.

Explanation: The flow of electrons through a metallic wire constitutes an electric current. In metals, free electrons move from the negative terminal to the positive terminal of a power source, while the conventional direction of current is taken as opposite — from positive to negative.