Explanation: Carbon monoxide (CO) is a colorless, odorless, and highly poisonous gas. When inhaled, it competes with oxygen for binding sites on the haemoglobin molecule in red blood cells. CO has approximately 200–250 times greater affinity for haemoglobin than oxygen. As a result, it forms a stable compound called carboxyhaemoglobin (HbCO).

This compound prevents haemoglobin from carrying oxygen to body tissues, leading to oxygen deprivation (hypoxia). Prolonged exposure to CO can cause headache, dizziness, nausea, unconsciousness, and even death due to suffocation.

Chemical Reaction:

Hb + CO → HbCO (Carboxyhaemoglobin)

Explanation: AIDS, Hepatitis, and Typhoid fever are all diseases that can be spread by human beings. While AIDS and Hepatitis are viral diseases and Typhoid is a bacterial disease, all three are transmitted through contact with infected individuals or their body fluids, making human-to-human transmission common.

In India, the most widely used form of renewable energy is Solar Energy. Due to the country’s tropical location, India receives abundant sunlight throughout the year, making solar power a highly viable and sustainable energy source. It is harnessed using solar panels for electricity generation and heating applications under initiatives like National Solar Mission.

• Geothermal energy: Used only in limited pilot projects.
• Hydro-electric energy: Important but not as rapidly expanding as solar.
• Thermal energy: Usually refers to non-renewable coal-based power plants.

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: In a healthy adult, the total volume of blood in the body is approximately 7% of body weight. For an average person weighing around 70 kg, this equals about 5 to 5.5 litres of blood. Blood plays a vital role in transporting oxygen, nutrients, hormones, and waste products throughout the body. It also helps regulate temperature and maintain pH balance. The major components of blood are plasma (55%), red blood cells (RBCs), white blood cells (WBCs), and platelets.

Explanation: Humans first landed on the Moon on July 20, 1969, during NASA’s Apollo 11 mission. American astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin became the first and second humans to walk on the Moon, while Michael Collins orbited above in the command module. Neil Armstrong’s famous words, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind,” marked this historic achievement in space exploration.

The Red Data Book contains information about endangered and threatened species of plants and animals. It is published by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The book categorizes species based on their risk of extinction, such as Critically Endangered, Endangered, Vulnerable, and Extinct. It serves as a global reference for monitoring biodiversity conservation and guiding environmental protection policies.

Other options (for context)

• All plant species: Incorrect — it includes only those plants that are endangered or threatened.
• All animal species: Incorrect — it covers only the endangered and vulnerable ones, not all animals.
• All extinct species: Incorrect — it includes species at risk of extinction, not only those already extinct.

Brown is not seen in a rainbow. A natural rainbow displays seven distinct colours — Violet, Indigo, Blue, Green, Yellow, Orange, and Red (VIBGYOR). These colours appear due to the dispersion of sunlight by water droplets in the atmosphere, but brown is not part of the visible spectrum formed by dispersion.

• Yellow, Green, Red: All are part of the seven colours of the rainbow.