The Widal test is used to diagnose Typhoid fever, a bacterial infection caused by Salmonella typhi. The test detects the presence of agglutinating antibodies (O and H) in a patient’s serum against the antigens of the typhoid bacteria. It helps confirm infection during the second week of illness.

• Cholera: Diagnosed by stool culture for Vibrio cholerae.
• Tuberculosis: Detected using sputum test or Mantoux test.
• AIDS: Diagnosed through ELISA or Western blot test for HIV.

Explanation: Sound waves in air are longitudinal waves, meaning the particles of the medium vibrate back and forth in the same direction as the wave travels. These waves require a material medium (like air, water, or solids) for propagation and cannot travel through a vacuum.

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: Edward Jenner, an English physician, is known as the “Father of Immunology.” In 1796, he observed that milkmaids who had previously suffered from cowpox (a mild disease) did not contract smallpox (a deadly viral disease). He tested his hypothesis by injecting a boy with material taken from a cowpox sore and later exposing him to smallpox — the boy did not develop the disease. This led to the development of the first vaccine, derived from the Latin word vacca meaning “cow.”

Significance: Jenner’s discovery laid the foundation of modern immunology and preventive medicine. Smallpox was officially declared eradicated by the WHO in 1980.

The normal body temperature of a healthy human being is approximately 37 °C, which is equivalent to 98.6 °F. This temperature is maintained through a balance between heat production and heat loss in the body. The body’s thermoregulation is controlled by the hypothalamus in the brain to ensure proper functioning of enzymes and metabolic processes.

Other options (for context)

• 98.4 °C: Incorrect — the correct equivalent in Fahrenheit is 98.6 °F, not in Celsius.
• 14.5 °C: Much lower than the human body temperature — such a value would indicate hypothermia or death.
• 25 °C: Represents a mild room temperature, not body temperature.