Explanation: White Blood Cells (WBCs), also known as leukocytes, act as the body’s defense system. They protect the body against pathogens such as bacteria, viruses, and fungi. Different types of WBCs — like lymphocytes, monocytes, neutrophils, eosinophils, and basophils — have specialized roles in immunity. Because they “fight” infections, they are popularly called the ‘soldiers of the human body.’

Deciduous trees are those that shed all their leaves once a year, usually during the dry or winter season to conserve water and energy. After a period of dormancy, they grow new leaves at the beginning of the next growing season. Common examples include teak, sal, neem, and peepal. This adaptation helps the trees survive unfavorable climatic conditions.

Other options (for context)

• Coniferous trees: Mostly evergreen and do not shed all their leaves at once; examples include pine and deodar.
• Evergreen trees: Retain their leaves throughout the year and shed them gradually.
• Both deciduous and coniferous trees: Incorrect — only deciduous trees completely shed their leaves annually.

Explanation: Windows XP is an operating system (OS) developed by Microsoft. An operating system is system software that manages computer hardware, software resources, and provides services for running application programs. Windows XP, released in 2001, was one of the most popular OS versions used for both personal and business computers. It provides a graphical user interface (GUI), multitasking, and file management capabilities.

Explanation: Unwanted or unsolicited e-mails sent in bulk are called spam. These messages often contain advertisements, phishing links, or malware. They clutter inboxes and can pose security risks. The term “spam” originated from a comedy sketch by Monty Python, where the word was repeatedly used, much like unwanted messages.

Explanation: Vitamins are classified into two categories based on their solubility — fat-soluble and water-soluble. Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) and the B-complex vitamins are water-soluble, meaning they dissolve in water and are not stored in the body. Therefore, they must be consumed regularly through diet. Deficiency of Vitamin C causes scurvy, characterized by bleeding gums and delayed wound healing.

Explanation: 1 Gigabyte (GB) is equal to 1024 Megabytes (MB). Computer memory and storage are measured in powers of 2 (binary system), where 1 KB = 1024 bytes, 1 MB = 1024 KB, and 1 GB = 1024 MB.

Explanation: The speed of internet connectivity is expressed in Megabits per second (Mb/sec or Mbps). It indicates how much data is transferred per second over a network connection. One megabit equals 1,000,000 bits. Higher Mbps values mean faster internet speeds. For example, a 100 Mbps connection can transfer 100 million bits of data every second. Note that 1 byte = 8 bits, so internet speeds in Mbps differ from file sizes, which are usually measured in megabytes (MB).

Sir Isaac Newton invented the Reflecting Telescope in 1668. Unlike earlier refracting telescopes that used lenses, Newton’s design used a concave mirror to reflect and focus light. This eliminated chromatic aberration (color distortion) caused by lenses and significantly improved image clarity. Newton’s reflecting telescope became a major advancement in astronomical observation.

Other options (for context)

• Thermometer: Invented by Galileo Galilei (early version) and later improved by Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit.
• Hydraulic Accumulator: Invented by William Armstrong.
• Transistor: Invented much later (in 1947) by John Bardeen, William Shockley, and Walter Brattain.

Explanation: A sphygmomanometer is a medical instrument used to measure blood pressure. It consists of an inflatable cuff, a mercury or aneroid gauge, and a bulb for inflation. The cuff is wrapped around the upper arm and inflated to temporarily stop blood flow. As pressure is slowly released, readings are taken for systolic (maximum) and diastolic (minimum) pressure. Normal blood pressure for a healthy adult is about 120/80 mmHg.