What is kwashiorkor, a protein deficiency disease, characterized by?
- A. Muscle wasting
- B. Night blindness
- C. Scurvy
- D. Rickets
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Kwashiorkor is a severe acute malnutrition condition resulting from insufficient dietary protein intake. It is characterized by symptoms such as edema, skin lesions, an enlarged liver with fatty infiltrates, and notably, muscle wasting. Muscle wasting occurs as the body breaks down muscle tissue to obtain essential amino acids for vital functions. Night blindness (option B) is associated with vitamin A deficiency, scurvy (option C) results from a lack of vitamin C, and rickets (option D) is caused by a deficiency in vitamin D, calcium, or phosphate.
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What condition is characterized by progressive muscle weakness and wasting?
- A. Muscular dystrophy
- B. Myositis
- C. Fibromyalgia
- D. Carpal tunnel syndrome
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Muscular dystrophy is a genetic disorder characterized by progressive muscle weakness and wasting due to mutations in genes responsible for muscle cells' structure and function. Myositis is an inflammatory muscle disease, fibromyalgia is a chronic pain condition, and carpal tunnel syndrome affects the hand and arm nerves, but none present with the progressive muscle weakness and wasting seen in muscular dystrophy.
Which organ is responsible for filtering blood and removing waste products?
- A. Liver
- B. Kidneys
- C. Spleen
- D. Pancreas
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The correct answer is the kidneys. The kidneys filter blood and remove waste products through the formation of urine. The liver primarily functions in detoxification and metabolism. The spleen is involved in blood filtering and immune function. The pancreas produces digestive enzymes and insulin, not involved in filtering blood.
Which hormone, produced by the pancreas, is involved in the regulation of blood sugar levels by inhibiting the release of insulin and promoting the release of glucose into the bloodstream?
- A. Insulin
- B. Glucagon
- C. Cortisol
- D. Somatostatin
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: The correct answer is D, Somatostatin. Somatostatin is a hormone produced by the pancreas that plays a crucial role in regulating blood sugar levels by inhibiting the release of insulin and promoting the release of glucose into the bloodstream. It acts as a counterbalance to insulin, preventing excess insulin secretion and ensuring the availability of glucose when needed. Therefore, somatostatin helps maintain blood sugar balance in the body. Choices A, B, and C are incorrect. Insulin is responsible for lowering blood sugar levels, while glucagon and cortisol have roles that differ from the functions described in the question.
Which type of cell division is responsible for sexual reproduction?
- A. Mitosis
- B. Meiosis
- C. Amitosis
- D. Cytokinesis
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Meiosis is the type of cell division responsible for sexual reproduction. During meiosis, a single cell undergoes two rounds of division to produce four daughter cells, each with half the number of chromosomes as the parent cell. This reduction in chromosome number is essential for sexual reproduction as it ensures that when two gametes (sperm and egg) combine during fertilization, the resulting zygote will have the correct number of chromosomes. Mitosis, on the other hand, is a type of cell division that produces two daughter cells with the same number of chromosomes as the parent cell and is involved in growth, repair, and asexual reproduction. Amitosis is a rare form of cell division that does not involve the typical processes of mitosis or meiosis. Cytokinesis is the process of dividing the cytoplasm of a cell after mitosis or meiosis.
What is the difference between constructive and destructive interference of waves?
- A. They have different effects on wave amplitude.
- B. Constructive interference increases amplitude, while destructive interference decreases it.
- C. They affect wave amplitudes differently depending on the wave type.
- D. Their impact is determined by the relative phase of the waves, not wave speed or amplitude.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Constructive interference and destructive interference are two phenomena that occur when waves interact. Constructive interference leads to an increase in wave amplitude when two waves meet in phase, resulting in the alignment of peaks and troughs. This alignment results in the combined wave having a higher amplitude. On the other hand, destructive interference causes a decrease in amplitude as two waves meet out of phase, leading to their cancellation. When peaks align with troughs, they cancel each other out, resulting in a lower overall amplitude. This difference in effect on wave amplitude distinguishes between constructive and destructive interference. Choice A is incorrect because it does not specify the direction of change in amplitude for each type of interference. Choice C is incorrect as both constructive and destructive interference can occur in various types of waves, not affecting them differently based on wave type. Choice D is incorrect because while the relative phase of waves does determine the interference type, it is the amplitude that is affected by constructive and destructive interference, not the wave speed.