mpt · CSS study notes
Science Basic (GK)
Vitamins & deficiency diseases
Highest-yield GK topic — has appeared in every year's paper sampled.
| Vitamin | Deficiency disease / effect | Solubility | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | Night blindness | Fat-soluble (stored in body) | 2022 |
| B1 | Beriberi (first vitamin ever discovered) | Water-soluble | 2022–26 bank |
| B (general) | Found in seeds, whole grains, meat | Water-soluble, varies by type | 2022 |
| C | Scurvy | Water-soluble — not stored, needs daily intake | 2022 / 2027 predicted |
| D | Rickets; obtained from sunlight | Fat-soluble | 2022 |
| K | Excessive bleeding / poor blood clotting | Fat-soluble | 2022, 2026 |
Key rule (2026 Q16): Fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, K can be stored in the body; water-soluble B and C generally cannot and need regular intake.
Blood & human body
| Fact | Answer | Year |
|---|---|---|
| RBC lifespan | 120 days | 2022 |
| Platelet lifespan | ~8–10 days | 2022 |
| WBC lifespan | Varies (hours to years, by type) | 2022 |
| Fluid part of blood | Plasma (~55% of blood volume) | 2023 Special |
| Most common blood group | O+ | flip-side bank |
| Rarest blood group | AB- | 2022 |
| Universal donor / recipient | O- donor / AB+ recipient | flip-side bank |
| Recommended daily fluid intake | ~3.7 L/day (men), ~2.7 L/day (women) | 2022 |
| Mitochondrion | "Powerhouse of the cell" — generates energy as ATP | 2025 |
| Cytology / Histology / Anatomy / Physiology | Study of cells / tissues / organs-structure / function, respectively | 2026 |
Physics, electricity & the EM spectrum
| Fact | Answer | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Step-up vs step-down transformer | Step-up: output V > input V (used at power plants); Step-down: output V < input V (used near homes) | 2026 |
| EM spectrum, longest → shortest wavelength | Radio > Microwave > Infrared > Visible > UV > X-ray > Gamma | 2026 |
| Most ionizing / dangerous radiation | Gamma (highest penetration/energy); Alpha least penetrating but most damaging if ingested | 2026 |
| TV remote uses | Infrared waves | 2022 |
| Sky is blue because of | Rayleigh scattering (shorter blue wavelengths scatter more) | 2023 Special |
| Pencil in water looks bent due to | Refraction (not reflection) | 2025 |
| Microphone generates | An analogue (continuous) signal, converted to digital via an ADC | 2026 |
| Third most common gas in air | Argon (~0.93%), after Nitrogen (~78%) and Oxygen (~21%) | 2026 |
Astronomy & Earth science
| Fact | Answer | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Slowest / fastest orbiting planet | Slowest (of nearer options): Jupiter; Fastest: Mercury | 2022 |
| Light year | Measures a distance (~9.46 trillion km), not time | 2023 Special |
| Age of the universe | ~13.8 billion years | 2025 |
| Sun / Milky Way | Sun is a star; Milky Way is a spiral galaxy | 2025 |
| Most clouds form in | Troposphere (see also the atmosphere-layers table on World Geography) | 2023 Special |
| Earthquake severity measured by | Magnitude | 2023 Special |
| Earth's core is metal because | Earth's average density is greater than its surface layer's density (implies a denser core) | 2026 |
For more Earth layers, atmosphere layers, and geographical zones, see World Geography — 09 Aug 2026.
Environment & renewable energy
- Renewable/sustainable sources: Solar, Geothermal, Tidal, Biomass (2025, 2026)
- Thermal energy can be produced by chemical reactions, nuclear reactions, and friction — all of the above (2025)
- Soil fertility is maintained naturally via microbial activity — decomposition, nitrogen fixation (2026)
- pH of soil is raised using limestone (2025)
- Nanocomposite food packaging mainly blocks oxygen, preventing oxidation/spoilage (2026)
- Denmark imposed the world's first carbon tax on livestock emissions (2024 — see World Facts (GK))
Measuring instruments
Near-certain 1–2 MCQs every year.
| Instrument | Measures | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Oximeter | Blood oxygen | 2022 |
| Sphygmomanometer | Blood pressure | 2022 |
| Spirometer | Lung volume | 2022 (context) |
| Rain gauge | Rainfall | 2022 |
| Anemometer | Wind speed (predicted — hasn't appeared yet) | 2027 prep |
| Barometer | Air pressure | context |
| Hygrometer | Humidity | context |
| Thermometer | Temperature | context |
Full acronym/instrument abbreviation list is consolidated on Abbreviations (GK).