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Prelims 2023 · Q16 · Plants, fungi & microbes

Consider the following statements :

  1. 1.Some mushrooms have medicinal properties.
  2. 2.Some mushrooms have psycho-active properties.
  3. 3.Some mushrooms have insecticidal properties.
  4. 4.Some mushrooms have bioluminescent properties.

How many of the above statements are correct?

Show answer

Answer: D. All four are true. Some mushrooms are medicinal (reishi, cordyceps). Some are psychoactive (Psilocybe). Some kill insects: the fly agaric (Amanita muscaria) has long been used to kill flies. Some glow in the dark (bioluminescent species found in the Western Ghats and North-East India).

Watch for: The word 'some' makes each statement easy to satisfy; do not treat unusual ones like glowing mushrooms as fake.

Why the other options are wrong
  • A. Wrong because all four properties are found in some mushrooms.
  • B. Wrong because all four properties are found in some mushrooms.
  • C. Wrong because bioluminescent and insecticidal mushrooms also exist.

Source to check: NCERT Class 11 Biology, Ch 2 Biological Classification (Kingdom Fungi); ICAR-Directorate of Mushroom Research, Solan website

Answer from the official UPSC key. Written and fact-checked by AI against the official key. Spotted a mistake? Report it.