'Triclosan', considered harmful when exposed to high levels for a long time, is most likely present in which of the following?
- A.Food preservatives
- B.Fruit-ripening substances
- C.Reused plastic containers
- D.Toiletries
Correct answer
Explanation
The correct answer is D, Toiletries. Triclosan is an antibacterial and antifungal agent added mainly to personal-care products. It has been used in antibacterial soaps, hand washes, toothpastes, deodorants, shaving creams, mouthwashes and cosmetics, and sometimes in kitchen items and textiles to stop the growth of germs. Long and heavy exposure is a concern because triclosan may disturb thyroid and other hormones, may help bacteria become resistant to antibiotics, and persists in water bodies where it harms aquatic life. The US Food and Drug Administration banned it in over-the-counter antiseptic hand washes in 2016. Option A is wrong because common food preservatives are substances like sodium benzoate, sorbic acid, salt and vinegar, not triclosan. Option B is wrong because fruits are ripened with ethylene gas, ethephon or, illegally, calcium carbide. Option C is wrong because the chemicals feared in reused plastic containers are bisphenol A and phthalates. Exam tip: triclosan = soaps and toothpastes; carbide = artificial fruit ripening; BPA = polycarbonate plastics.
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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