Bee sting leaves an acid which causes pain and irritation. The acid released is
- A.tartaric acid
- B.citric acid
- C.ethanoic acid
- D.methanoic acid
Correct answer
Explanation
The correct answer is D, methanoic acid. A honeybee sting injects methanoic acid, also called formic acid (HCOOH), which causes the burning pain and irritation. It is the simplest carboxylic acid, and its common name comes from the Latin word formica, meaning ant, because it was first obtained from ants; ant bites and the hairs of nettle leaves contain the same acid. Since the acid causes the pain, rubbing a mild base such as baking soda solution on the spot neutralises it and gives relief, a standard example of neutralisation in daily life. Option A is wrong because tartaric acid is found in tamarind and grapes and is used in baking powder. Option B is wrong because citric acid is the acid of lemons, oranges and other citrus fruits. Option C is wrong because ethanoic acid, or acetic acid, is the acid of vinegar, used at about 5 to 8 per cent in water. Exam tip: bee sting, ant bite and nettle all mean methanoic (formic) acid; treat with baking soda.
Practice Questions
View allThe fact that the planets move around the Sun, not in circles but in ellipses, was first demonstrated by
- A.Galileo
- B.Martin Luther
- C.Johannes Kepler
- D.Copernicus
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In 1609 Kepler showed that the planets move around the Sun in elliptical orbits, with the Sun at one focus of the ellipse.
Read the full explanation →Which one of the following statements is correct?
- A.Urea is produced in liver.
- B.Urea is produced in blood.
- C.Urea is produced from digestion of starch.
- D.Urea is produced in lung and kidney.
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Liver cells turn the toxic ammonia released from the breakdown of amino acids into urea through the ornithine cycle, also called the urea cycle.
Read the full explanation →Which one of the following is the correct sequence of passage of light in a compound microscope?
- A.Condenser-Objective lens-Eyepiece-Body tube
- B.Objective lens-Condenser-Body tube-Eyepiece
- C.Condenser-Objective lens-Body tube-Eyepiece
- D.Eyepiece-Objective lens-Body tube-Mirror
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Light passes through the condenser to the specimen, is picked up by the objective lens, travels up the body tube and reaches the eye through the eyepiece.
Read the full explanation →Which one of the following statements regarding haemoglobin is correct?
- A.Haemoglobin present in RBC can carry only oxygen but not carbon dioxide.
- B.Haemoglobin of RBC can carry both oxygen and carbon dioxide.
- C.Haemoglobin of RBC can carry only carbon dioxide.
- D.Haemoglobin is only used for blood clotting and not for carrying gases.
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It binds oxygen at its iron-containing haem groups and carries some carbon dioxide on its protein chains. Each haemoglobin molecule has four polypeptide chains and four haem groups, and each haem iron can hold one oxygen molecule, forming oxyhaemoglobin in the lungs.
Read the full explanation →Which one of the following statements regarding histone proteins is correct?
- A.Histones are proteins that are present in mitochondrial membrane.
- B.Histones are proteins that are present in nucleus in association with DNA.
- C.Histones are proteins associated with lipids in the cytosol.
- D.Histones are proteins associated with carbohydrates in the cytosol.
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They are the proteins around which DNA winds to form chromatin in the nucleus of eukaryotic cells. Histones are small basic proteins, rich in the positively charged amino acids lysine and arginine, which attract the negatively charged phosphate groups of DNA.
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