Explanation: Tuberculosis (TB) is not a viral disease; it is caused by a bacterium called Mycobacterium tuberculosis. In contrast, Polio, Swine flu, and Hepatitis are viral diseases caused by different types of viruses.

Explanation: The pituitary gland is a small, pea-sized endocrine gland located at the base of the brain, just beneath the hypothalamus. It is often called the "master gland" because it secretes several hormones (like growth hormone, TSH, FSH, LH, and prolactin) that control other endocrine glands and various physiological processes.

Explanation: Mumps is a contagious viral disease caused by the mumps virus, a member of the Paramyxoviridae family (genus Rubulavirus). It primarily affects the salivary glands, especially the parotid glands, leading to painful swelling near the cheeks and jawline.

Mode of Transmission: The infection spreads through respiratory droplets or direct contact with saliva from an infected person.

Symptoms:

• Swelling and pain in the parotid glands (below the ears)
• Fever and headache
• Muscle pain and fatigue
• Difficulty in chewing or swallowing

Prevention: Mumps can be effectively prevented by the MMR vaccine (Measles, Mumps, and Rubella vaccine).

Explanation: ROM (Read Only Memory) retains its data even when the power is turned off, making it non-volatile memory. It stores essential programs such as the computer’s firmware or BIOS, which are required for booting the system. In contrast, RAM loses all information when power is shut down.

Explanation: Groundnut (Arachis hypogaea) is a leguminous plant that exhibits geocarpy — after fertilization a downward-growing peg pushes the fertilized ovary into the soil and the pod (the fruit) matures below ground. Potato, carrot and onion are underground plant parts but are respectively a tuber (stem), root and bulb — not fruits.

Explanation: The tusks of elephants are actually modified second upper incisors. They are made primarily of dentine, commonly known as ivory, and covered by a thin layer of enamel at the tip (which wears off with time). Tusks grow continuously throughout the elephant’s life and are used for digging, lifting objects, stripping bark, defense, and dominance displays.

Note: Both male and female African elephants have tusks, whereas in Asian elephants, tusks are generally present only in males.

Composition: Tusks are composed of dentine (ivory) with fine concentric growth lines, and they grow from sockets in the skull.

Explanation: Opium is obtained from the latex present in the unripe capsule of the poppy plant (Papaver somniferum). The latex is collected by making incisions on the capsule, and after drying, it forms raw opium, which contains alkaloids like morphine and codeine.

The Green Muffler technique is used to control noise pollution. It involves planting dense rows of trees and shrubs around roads, industrial areas, and public places. The vegetation acts as a natural sound barrier by absorbing, deflecting, and refracting sound waves, thereby reducing the intensity of noise reaching nearby areas. Common plants used for green mufflers include Neem, Ashoka, Ficus, and Cassia.

Other options (for context)

• Air pollution: Controlled by measures like emission filters and afforestation, but not directly by green mufflers.
• Soil pollution: Managed by waste treatment and reduced chemical use, not vegetation barriers.
• Water pollution: Controlled by sewage treatment and reducing industrial discharge, not by plants as mufflers.