Human Anatomy and Physiology : III. Vitamins And Nutrition Part-I

Total Questions: 50

1. Which of the following foods will provide the nutrient for the growth of new tissues in the human body? [R.A.S./R.T.S. (Pre) 2003]

(a) Fruit
(b) Vegetables
(c) Cheese
(d) Sweets

Correct Answer: (c) Cheese

Solution:Proteins are major components of human body and are more important for growth and repair of tissues. Its main sources are pulses, soyabeans, groundnut, milk, cheese, eggs, food-grains, etc.

They are the building blocks of tissues, muscles, and organs, and play a vital role in repairing damaged tissues and forming enzymes, hormones, and other body chemicals. Proteins are made up of amino acids, which are the fundamental units that combine to form the structure of tissues. Proteins are important for the immune system to function properly, helping the body fight off infections and diseases.

2. Consider the following statements about probiotic food: [I.A.S. (Pre) 2008]

1. The probiotic food contains live bacteria which are considered beneficial to humans.
2. Probiotic food helps in maintaining gut flora.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Correct Answer: (c) Both 1 and 2

Solution:Our intestines are home to about 500 million bacteria, some good and some bad. Researches suggest that the more good bacteria in your gut, the stronger your immune system will be. Probiotics are often referred to as 'good bacteria'. They help the body to absorb important vitamins and minerals including calcium, iron, chromium and vitamins A, D, E and K, just to name a few. These probiotic foods into our eating routine can enhance and improve gut flora to boost our intestinal and overall health.

3. Consider the following statements in respect of probiotics: [I.A.S. (Pre) 2022]

1. Probiotics are made of both bacteria and yeast.
2. The organisms in probiotics are found in foods we ingest but they do not naturally occur in our gut.
3. Probiotics help in the digestion of milk sugars.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) 1 and 3
(d) 2 and 3

Correct Answer: (c) 1 and 3

Solution:Probiotics are live microorganisms (bacteria and yeasts) that are intended to have health benefits when consumed or applied to the body. Probiotics may contain a variety of microorganisms. The most common are bacteria that belong to groups called Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium. Other bacteria may also be used as probiotics, and so may yeasts such as Saccharomyces boulardii. Probiotics naturally occur in our gut. Trillions of bacteria and other micro-organisms live in every person’s gut. With the action of probiotics, milk and other dairy products are easier to digest. Fermentation with live bacteria results in a unique form of lactose which is easier to digest, and many probiotic bacterial strains also produce beta-galactosidase, an enzyme that acts like lactase and can help to break down lactose in the gut. L.acidophilus is a probiotic bacteria that naturally occurs in the human gut and other parts of the body. This bacteria helps the digestive system break down sugars, such as lactose, into lactic acid.

4. Nutraceuticals are products which have— [U.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 2009]

(a) Nutrients vitamin and minerals
(b) Nutrients protein and fatty acids
(c) Nutrient and toxic effect
(d) Nutrient and medicinal effect

Correct Answer: (d) Nutrient and medicinal effect

Solution:The term 'nutraceutical' is used to describe any food or part of food supplements that offers a medical or health benefit beyond simple nutrition. Such benefits mainly include the prevention or recurrence of the diseases.

5. Funk invented— [U.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 2012]

(a) Vitamins
(b) Hormones
(c) Proteins
(d) Enzymes

Correct Answer: (a) Vitamins

Solution:Kazimierz (Casimir) Funk is generally credited with being among the first to formulate the concept of vitamins, which he called 'vital amines' or 'vitamins'. Umetaro Suzuki had in 1910 succeeded in extracting a water-soluble complex of micronutrients from rice bran and had named it 'aberic acid'.

6. Which of the following pairs is not correctly matched? [M.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 2017]

(a) Vitamin A - Maculan
(b) Vitamin B - Maculan
(c) Vitamin C - James Lind
(d) Vitamin D - Paul Muller

Correct Answer: (d) Vitamin D - Paul Muller

Solution:American biochemist Elmer Verner McCollum (The name given in the question is Maculan, which is wrongly spelt) and Marguerite Davis discovered the vitamin A. McCollum also helped to discover vitamin B and vitamin D and worked out the effect of trace elements in the diet. Scottish doctor James Lind is associated with vitamin C as he found that citrus fruits cured scurvy. Swiss chemist Paul Muller is not associated with vitamin D. He discovered the insecticidal qualities and use of DDT in the control of vector diseases such as malaria and yellow fever.

7. What are vitamins? [M.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 1998]

(a) Organic Compound
(b) Inorganic compound
(c) Living organism
(d) None of these

Correct Answer: (a) Organic Compound

Solution:Vitamins are organic compounds and vital nutrients that an organism requires in limited amounts. An organic chemical compound (or related set of compounds) is called a vitamin when the organism cannot synthesize the compound in sufficient quantities and must be obtained through the diet.

8. Which one of the following groups of compounds is called 'accessory dietary factors'? [U.P.R.O./A.R.O. (Pre) 2014]

(a) Fats
(d) Vitamins
(b) Proteins
(c) Carbohydrates

Correct Answer: (d) Vitamins

Solution:Frederick Gowland Hopkins was the first scientist to elucidate the "accessory food factor," the idea that food contains trace amounts of substances essential for nutrition. Accessory food factors later came to be called vitamins.

9. Given below are two statements, one labelled as Assertion (A) and the other as Reason (R). [U.P. R.O./A.R.O. (Mains) 2016 ,U.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 2021]

Assertion (A): Most of the vitamins are not synthesized in the human body.
Reason (R): Human organs synthesize only essential micronutrients.
Select the correct answer from the codes given below:

(a) Both (A) and (R) are true and (R) is the correct explanation of (A).
(b) Both (A) and (R) are true, but (R) is not the correct explanation of (A).
(c) (A) is true, but (R) is false.
(d) (A) is false, but (R) is true.

Correct Answer: (c) (A) is true, but (R) is false.

Solution:Most of the vitamins cannot be synthesized in the human body, so they are considered as essential food factors. For the most part, vitamins are obtained from the diet, but some are acquired by other means: for example, microorganisms in the gut flora produce vitamin K and B₂ (Biotin); and one form of vitamin D is synthesized in skin cells when they are exposed to a certain wavelength of ultraviolet light present in sunlight. Human can produce some vitamins from precursors they consume; for example, vitamin A is synthesized from beta carotene; and vitamin B₃ (Niacin) is synthesized from the amino acid tryptophan. An essential micronutrient is a nutrient required for normal physiological function that cannot be synthesized in the human body—either at all or in sufficient quantities—and thus must be obtained from a dietary source. About 30 vitamins, minerals, fatty acids and amino acids are essential micronutrients for proper functioning of human metabolism. Thus reason (R) is false.

10. Given below are two statements, one is labelled as Assertion (A) and other as Reason (R). [U.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 2019]

Assertion (A): Human body synthesizes all the vitamins required by it.
Reason (R): Vitamins are essential for proper growth of the body.
Choose the correct answer from the code given below:

(a) Both (A) and (R) are true and (R) is the correct explanation of (A).
(b) Both (A) and (R) are true but (R) is not the correct explanation of (A).
(c) (A) is true but (R) is false.
(d) (A) is false but (R) is true.

Correct Answer: (d) (A) is false but (R) is true.

Solution:Most of the vitamins cannot be synthesized in the human body, so they are considered as essential food factors. Vitamins are certain organic compounds required in small amounts in our diet as they are essential for proper growth of the body and their deficiency causes specific diseases. Hence, Assertion (A) is false, but Reason (R) is true.

12 3 4 5 Next »