(d) Explanation: ■ NASA had revealed the first set of images from the James Webb Space Telescope. The images showed the birthplaces of stars, galaxies with supermassive black holes within them to the last gasps of a dying star. This has highlighted the importance of infrared imaging in space technologies. ■ Many cosmic objects – including stars and planets, as well as the gas and dust from where they form – emit infrared light, sometimes called heat radiation. So, infrared imaging by a telescope can identify the temperature differences of an observed body. So, statement 1 is correct. ■ Infrared waves have longer wavelengths than visible light and can pass through dense regions of gas and dust in space with less scattering and absorption. Thus, infrared energy can also reveal objects in the universe that cannot be seen in visible light using optical telescopes. So, statements 2 and 3 are correct. ■ By viewing the Universe at infrared wavelengths, James Webb Space Telescope can see the first stars and galaxies forming after the Big Bang. Its infrared vision also allows Webb to study stars and planetary systems forming inside thick clouds of gas and dust that are opaque to visible light. So, statement 4 is correct.

(c) Explanation: ■ Cytochrome c is primarily known for its function in the mitochondria as a key participant in the life-supporting function of Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) synthesis. Cytochrome c is one of the mitochondrial proteins that is released into the cytosol when the cell is activated by an apoptotic stimulus. ■ In the cytosol, Cytochrome c engages the apoptotic protease activating factor-1 (APAF1), and forms the apoptosome, which activates caspase-9. ■ The release of cytochrome c has been suggested to occur in two phases: mobilization from the mitochondrial intermembrane space and translocation through the outer mitochondrial membrane. ■ Dr. Kamala Sohonie, who is known for her contribution in science and fought against food adulteration, gender bias, became the country’s first woman PhD in biochemistry in the 1930s. She studied the enzyme ‘Cytochrome C’ in potatoes and found two things: The enzyme was present in every cell of the plant tissue and it was involved in oxidation of all plant cells.

(c) Explanation: ■ Two dominant commercial options of energy storage in electronics and off-grid power supply in India are lithium-ion batteries (LIB) and lead-acid batteries (LAB). Sodium ion batteries (SIBs) used in Electric Vehicles are limited at present but demand is high due to its foreseeable future. So, statement 1 is correct. ■ LABs and LIBs are hugely popular owing to their affordability, material accessibility and recycling rates. SIBs have higher operational safety than LIBs and LAB, making their temperature endurance higher than other battery chemistries. ■ One salient safety advantage of Sodium Ion Batteries over typical Li-ion batteries is that they can be stored or transported at an empty energy state (0 V). On the contrary, it is necessary to transport the Li-ion batteries at a defined charge state (30%) to prevent the dissolution of the copper current collector. This transportation condition presents a safety risk. LABs are explosive in nature as well. ■ SIBs are rechargeable like LIBs and require sodium ion movement between electrodes during the charging and discharging of the battery. So, statement 2 is not correct. ■ Lithium, cobalt, manganese and copper are the metals consumed for battery manufacturing. These are geographically constrained, increase battery production cost and their refining is energy-intensive, leaving a carbon residue behind them. The cathode for sodium-ion batteries is manufactured from sodium, the seventh-most abundant material on earth and easily accessible iron-nickel-manganese. So, statement 3 is correct.

(d) Explanation: ■ Zika virus is a mosquito-borne flavivirus that was first identified in Uganda in 1947 in monkeys. It was later identified in humans in Uganda and the United Republic of Tanzania. So, statement 1 is correct. ■ Zika virus infection during pregnancy can cause infants to be born with microcephaly and other congenital malformations, known as congenital Zika syndrome. It also causes complications of pregnancy including preterm birth and miscarriage. An increased risk of neurologic complications is associated with Zika virus infection in adults and children, including Guillain-Barré syndrome, neuropathy and myelitis. So, statement 2 is correct. ■ No vaccine is yet available for the prevention or treatment of Zika virus infection. Symptoms are treated and patients are advised to take precautions. So, statement 3 is correct. ■ There are numerous reports of Dengue (DENV) and Zika Virus (ZIKV) co-infection and ZIKV and chikungunya virus (CHIKV) coinfection among humans. So, statement 4 is correct.

(a) Explanation: ■ Quarks appear to be true elementary particles; that is cannot be divided into something smaller. In addition, however, quarks always seem to occur in combination with other quarks or with antiquarks, their antiparticles, to form all hadrons. Therefore, Hadron is a subatomic particle made of quarks, gluons, and antiquarks. ■ Quarks are elementary particles, usually combined together in groups to form hadrons such as the protons and neutrons and anti-quarks that make up atomic nuclei. So, statement 1 is correct. ■ They combine into four-quark and five-quark particles, called tetraquarks and pentaquarks. ■ In addition to having a positive or negative electric-charge (like protons and neutrons), quarks and gluons can have three additional states of charge: positive and negative redness, greenness, and blueness. The force that connects positive and negative colour charges is called the strong nuclear force, it is most powerful and holds matter together. It is much stronger than the three other fundamental forces: gravity, electromagnetism, and the weak nuclear forces. Quarks are the only elementary particles to experience all the known forces of nature and to have a fractional electric charge. So, statement 2 is not correct. ■ The interaction between quarks and gluons is responsible for almost all the perceived mass of protons and neutrons and is therefore where we get our mass.

(b) Explanation: ■ Artemis Accords are a set of principles to carry out civil activities in outer space, intended to increase the safety of operations and promote the sustainable and beneficial use of space for all. These are proposed by National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). So, statement 1 is not correct. ■ These activities may take place on the Moon, Mars, comets, and asteroids, including their surfaces and subsurface, as well as in orbit of the Moon or Mars, in the Lagrangian points for the Earth-Moon system, and in transit between these celestial bodies and locations. So, statement 2 is correct. ■ Under this accord, the Signatories commit to informing the Secretary-General of the United Nations as well as the public and the international scientific community of their space resource extraction activities in accordance with the Outer Space Treaty. So, statement 3 is correct. ■ Other space agencies are also involved in the Artemis programme for example – the Canadian Space Agency has committed to providing advanced robotics. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency plans to contribute habitation components and logistics resupply, etc. ■ Outer space is considered a shared natural resource, the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS) in 2019 adopted a set of 21 voluntary, non-binding guidelines to ensure the long-term sustainability of outer space activities.

(d) Explanation: ■ Tuberculosis (TB) is caused by a bacterium called Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The bacteria usually attack the lungs, but TB bacteria can attack any part of the body such as the kidney, spine, and brain. So, statement 1 is correct. ■ Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) is a vaccine for tuberculosis (TB) disease, administered in children at the time of birth in India. So, statement 2 is correct. ■ Two TB-related conditions exist: latent TB infection (LTBI) and TB disease. ■ If not treated properly, TB disease can be fatal. TB bacteria spread through the air from one person to another. ■ TB bacteria can live in the body without making you sick. This is called latent TB infection. In most people who breathe in TB bacteria and become infected, the body is able to fight the bacteria to stop them from growing. People with latent TB can’t spread TB bacteria to others. So, statement 3 is correct.

(b) Explanation: ■ Nitrogen is one of the most important macronutrients needed for development of a plant. It is a part of chlorophyll, amino acids and nucleic acids, among others. So, statement 1 is correct. ■ Nitrogen is mostly sourced from the soil where it is mainly absorbed in the form of nitrates and ammonium by the roots. Nitrates also play a role in controlling genome wide gene expression that in turn regulates root system architecture, flowering time, leaf development, etc. The whole process of nitrate absorption takes place in the roots, a well-developed root system is needed for this to take place optimally. So, statement 2 is not correct and statement 3 is correct. ■ At one level, it is known that the hormone auxin is responsible for well-developed roots across all plants. A number of genes are known to help with auxin production, improved nitrate transport and assimilation in plants. ■ There is a new finding with a three-pronged effect, which will provide an alternate means of regulating and optimizing nitrate absorption, by way of Gene editing. Gene editing will lead to better development of the roots by regulating auxin hormone production and transport. So, statement 4 is correct.

(b) Explanation: ■ The human body needs minerals to maintain good health. Minerals are inorganic compounds needed by the body to regulate chemical reactions and maintain structures. Being inorganic makes them different from vitamins. ■ The body needs minerals to stay healthy. There are two types of minerals, Major Minerals and Minor (Trace) Minerals. Major minerals are minerals your body needs in relatively large (or major) quantities, and trace minerals are minerals your body needs in relatively small (or trace) quantities. Major Minerals: Sodium, Calcium, Potassium, Chloride, Phosphorus, Magnesium and Sulphur. So, points 1 and 4 are not correct. ■ Minor Minerals: Iron, Zinc, Iodine, Fluoride, Copper, Selenium, Chromium, Cobalt, Manganese and Molybdenum. So, points 2 and 3 are correct. ■ Hidden Hunger refers to a micronutrient deficiency caused by eating food that is cheap and filling but deficient in essential vitamins and minerals. Micronutrient deficiencies can exist even in communities where the food supply is adequate to meet the energy needs of the population.

(d) Explanation: ■ Without Earth’s gravity, human body weight-bearing bones lose density during spaceflight. So, point 2 is correct. ■ Moreover, the fluids in the body shift upward to the head in microgravity, which may put pressure on the eyes and cause vision problems. So, points 1 and 3 are correct. ■ If preventive or countermeasures are not implemented, crews may experience an increased risk of developing kidney stones due to dehydration and increased excretion of calcium from their bones. ■ The cardiovascular system also experiences many changes. Without gravity pulling blood towards our feet, astronauts experience a fluid shift that causes more blood to pool in the upper body. This can affect the cardiovascular system and vision. ■ Radiation is also a large health concern for astronauts as the further they travel from Earth the greater exposure to the sun’s radiation and increased cancer risk. ■ Spaceflight changes the immune system of the body; alter in immunity may lead to autoimmune issues, in which the immune system mistakenly attacks the healthy cells, organs, and tissues present in the body.