Cell wall of any fungus is different from plants in having
- A.cellulose
- B.chitin
- C.cholesterol
- D.glycogen
Correct answer
Explanation
The correct answer is B, chitin. Fungal cell walls are built mainly of chitin, whereas plant cell walls are built of cellulose.
Chitin is a tough polysaccharide made of units of N-acetylglucosamine, a sugar that carries nitrogen. The same substance forms the hard outer skeleton of insects, crabs and other arthropods. Its presence is one of the reasons fungi are placed in a kingdom of their own rather than with plants. Fungi also lack chlorophyll and store food as glycogen and oil, not as starch, which links them more closely to animals.
A, cellulose, is the main component of plant cell walls, so having it would make fungi similar to plants, not different.
C, cholesterol, is a lipid found in animal cell membranes; fungal membranes contain ergosterol instead, and it is not a wall material.
D, glycogen, is the food that fungi store inside the cell; it is not a component of the cell wall.
Exam tip: plant wall, cellulose; fungal wall, chitin; bacterial wall, peptidoglycan.
Practice Questions
View allThe principle involved in paper chromatography is
- A.Absorption
- B.Partition
- C.Solubility
- D.Volatility
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Paper chromatography separates substances because each one divides, or partitions, itself differently between two liquid phases. In paper chromatography the stationary phase is the water held in the cellulose fibres of the paper, and the mobile phase is the solvent that rises up the paper by capillary action.
Read the full explanation →Which one of the following phenomena CANNOT be exhibited by sound waves ?
- A.Reflection
- B.Refraction
- C.Interference
- D.Polarisation
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Sound in air is a longitudinal wave, and only transverse waves can be polarised. Polarisation means restricting the vibrations of a wave to a single plane.
Read the full explanation →Which one of the following is NOT a luminous object ?
- A.Sun
- B.Electric lamp
- C.Candle
- D.Moon
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The Moon gives out no light of its own; it only reflects sunlight, so it is a non-luminous object. A luminous object produces and emits its own light, while a non-luminous object is seen only because it reflects light falling on it.
Read the full explanation →In experiment #1, a bar magnet is moved towards a conducting wire loop axially, with the magnet's north pole facing the loop. In experiment #2, the same process as in experiment #1 is repeated except that the south pole of the magnet faces the loop. Which one of the following statements is true in this context?
- A.The direction of current in the loop will be of opposite nature in both the experiments.
- B.The direction of current in the loop will be the same in both the experiments.
- C.No current will flow in either of the two experiments.
- D.More current will flow in the loop in experiment #1.
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Reversing the pole that approaches the loop reverses the change in magnetic flux, so the induced current reverses too. When a magnet moves towards a closed loop, the magnetic flux through the loop changes and an electric current is induced (Faraday's law of electromagnetic induction).
Read the full explanation →Which one of the following statements about classification of plants is correct?
- A.Thallophytes have well differentiated body design
- B.Funaria is a fungus
- C.All Pteridophytes are Phanerogams
- D.Vascular system is not found among Bryophytes
Show answer
Mosses and liverworts have no xylem or phloem, so water moves through them cell to cell. Bryophytes, such as Funaria (a moss) and Marchantia (a liverwort), are called the amphibians of the plant kingdom because they live on land but need water for fertilisation.
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