What makes Mexican jumping beans jump?
The seeds are inhabited by the larvae of a small moth whose movements cause the seeds to jump about.
In plants, what is chlorophyll?
Photosynthetic pigments which absorb blue-violet and red right, hence, reflecting green light and giving the green color of plants.
Why is the color of any root white?
Because of the absence of chlorophyll which will only appear if the plant is exposed to light.
How do we term plants specially adapted to capture and digest insects?
As insectivorous.
To which family of plants does the apple belong?
The rose family.
In which country is tea first believed to have been cultivated?
South China.
What part of the plant is the clove that we use as a spice?
The dried bud.
What is known as 'vegetable gold'?
Saffron.
Which vegetable contains the most iron?
Spinach, 100gm of which may contain as much as 2.2gm of iron.
To which botanical family does the onion belong?
The lily family (Allium cepa).
From which tree is quinine obtained?
Any of several species of the cinchona tree.
In what manner are maple syrup, chewing gum and rubber alike?
They all come from the sap of trees.
Marie, Curie was awarded the Nobel Prize twice. In which categories did she win them?
Physics (1903) for her work on radioactivity. This prize was shared with her husband, Pierre, and A.H. Becquerel. Chemistry (1911) for her work on isolation of metallic radiation.
Which scientist received Nobel Prizes for both Chemistry and Peace?
Linus Pauling.
Who invented the vacuum flask?
James Dewar (U.K.) in 1892.
With which important invention is the name of Leeuwenhoek associated?
The microscope.
Which Russian born American is so famous for research connected with television that he has been described as 'the father of modern television'?
Vladimir Zworykin.
Which famous inventor was also a portrait painter and a founder of the National Academy of Design in the U.S.A. in 1825?
Samuel Finlay Breese Morse.
The first words to be spoken over a telephone were: "Mr. Watson, come here, I want you", who spoke them?
Alexander Graham Bell (1847-1922) to his assistant on March 10th 1876.
When the indicator methyl orange is introduced in an alkaline substances what colour does it become?
Yellow.
What is generally considered to be the forerunner of chemistry?
Alchemy.
What branch of chemistry is concerned with carbon compounds?
Organic Chemistry.