About Rajaji Tiger Reserve:

• It is spread over three districts of Uttarakhand: Haridwar, Dehradun, and Pauri Garhwal.
• It is located in the Shivalik range of the Himalayas and spread over 820 kms. 
• It was named after the famous freedom fighter Rajgopalachari, popularly known as "Rajaji"
• It's location in a transition zone between temperate western Himalaya and central Himalaya enhances the species diversity.
• It forms an important part of the Terai-Arc landscape (7500 km) between the Yamuna River in the northwest and the Sharda River in the southeast. 
• Vegetation: The area is covered with diverse forest types ranging from semi-evergreento deciduous and from mixed broad-leaved to Terai grassland and has been classified as Indus-Ganges Monsoon Forest type.
• Flora: Some popular floras found in this park include: Rohini, Palash, Shisham, Sal, Sandan, Khair, Arjun, Baans, Semul, Chamaror, etc.
• Fauna: It has a sizeable population of Tigers and Asian Elephants. It is home to a variety of wild animals like Leopard, Jungle cat, Himalayan Black Bear, Sloth Bear, Striped Hyena, Goral, Sambar, Wild Pig, Spotted Deer, Barking Deer, etc.

Q1: What is Terai?

Terai, or Tarai, is a lowland belt of flat, alluvial land stretching along the Nepal-India border and running parallel to the lower ranges of the Himalayas. A strip of undulating former marshland, it stretches from the Yamuna River in the west to the Brahmaputra River in the east. It is the northern extension of the Gangetic Plain in India, commencing at about 300 meters above sea level and rising to about 1,000 meters at the foot of the Siwalik Range. In India, the Terai extends over the states of Haryana, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and West Bengal. 

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About Korowai Tribe:

• The Korowai tribe is a group of indigenous people who live in the southeastern part of Papua, Indonesia. 
• The Korowai people have a deep connection to the forest, which they rely on for their survival. They hunt and gather food from the forest, including wild animals and plants.
• Until around 1975, Korowai had almost no contact with the outside world. 
• They are famous for their treehouses.
  • Built-in 8-15 meters off the ground, though there are houses that were up to 45 meters on a tall tree.
• The tribe has no particular hierarchy system, as the Korowai people treasure equalityand harmony between them. 
• They have been sensationalised in modern media for their association with cannibalism, a practice of eating human flesh.
  • While it is believed that the tribe historically practised cannibalism as part of their spiritual and social beliefs, it has largely faded over time.

Q1: What is cannibalism?

Cannibalism is the act of eating the flesh or internal organs of another human or animal of the same kind.

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About Cloud chamber: 

• A cloud chamber is a scientific apparatus that mimics the conditions required for cloud formation.
• It resembles a closed cylindrical or tubular drum, inside which water vapour, aerosols, etc. are injected.
• Under the desired humidity and temperature inside this chamber, a cloud can develop.
• India is building a cloud chamber with convection properties, as required to study Indian monsoon clouds. Globally, there are only a handful of convective cloud chambers.
• Objective: The objective of establishing a convective cloud chamber is to gain a better understanding of cloud physics under conditions commonly affecting Indian weather systems. Thereafter, this knowledge can be used for strategic planning of weather modification.
• The Pune facility will allow scientists to study the seed particles that form cloud droplets or ice particles in a sustained manner.
  • Cloud physics basically involves the study of cloud behaviour during normal and extreme conditions; intra-particle interactions inside a cloud; the formation of rain droplets and ice particles; the influence of moisture added into the atmosphere due to cyclones or low pressure systems; and interactions between different cloud layers, among others.
• Significance: Scientists will have the flexibility to tailor physical and atmospheric parameters to suit environmental requirements that influence the Indian weather and climate.

Q1: What is Convection?

Convection is a way for heat to move, also referred to as a heat transfer mechanism. This transfer of heat happens when a fluid such as air or water is in motion. Convection is driven by temperature differences across that fluid.

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About Betelgeuse:

• It is a red supergiant star that forms the left shoulder of the constellation of Orion.
• It is one of the brightest stars in the night sky and one of the largest stars ever discovered.
• The star is approximately 650 light-years from Earth.
• The star is nearing the end of its life span, and when it dies, the resulting explosion will be bright enough to see during the day for weeks.
• It is one of the largest known stars, measuring more than 700 million miles (1.2 billion kilometers) in diameter.
• It is known for its periodic dimming and brightening up.
• It exhibits two distinct pulsation patterns: a short-term cycle of about a year and a longer six-year cycle.
• The researchers concluded that the longer cycle, known as a long secondary period, is likely caused by the Betelbuddy's (companion star) orbital motion through Betelgeuse's surrounding dust.

What is Red supergiant star?

• A red giant forms after a star has run out of hydrogen fuel for nuclear fusion, and has begun the process of dying.
• They are evolved stars with masses between 10 and 25 times that of the Sun.
• A star classed as a supergiant may have a diameter several hundred times that of the Sun and a luminosity nearly 1,000,000 times as great.
• Supergiants are tenuous stars, and their lifetimes are probably only a few million years, extremely short on the scale of stellar evolution.
• These stars have cool extended atmospheres.

Q1: What are Pulsars?

Pulsars are rapidly rotating neutron stars that blast out pulses of radiation at regular intervals ranging from seconds to milliseconds. Pulsars have very strong magnetic fields, which funnel jets of particles out along the two magnetic poles.

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About Anguiculus dicaprioi:

• It is a member of the Colubridae, the largest family of snakes on the planet with 304 genera and 1,938 species.
• Features
  • The new species has dozens of small sized teeth.
  • It grows around 22 inches and has a broad collar with small dark brown spots.
  • It has a "robust skull", and a “steeply domed snout”.
  • This species live at heights of around 6,000 feet above sea level.
• Researchers suggested common name ‘DiCaprio’s Himalayan snake’.
• Distribution: The snake is found in Chamba, Kullu and Shimla in Himachal Pradesh, Nainital in Uttarakhand and Chitwan National Park in Nepal.
• These snakes are mostly active from late May to August and are not seen at other times of the year.

What are Colubrid Snakes?

• A colubrid is any of the numerous, diverse, largely nonvenomous snakes that comprise the reptile family Colubridae.
• The Colubridae family is one of the largest snake families, consisting of over 1,800 species.
• They are characterized by the absence of hind limbs.
• They are found in various regions around the world, except for Antarctica and some remote oceanic islands.
• Habitats: They inhabit a wide range of environments, including forests, grasslands, deserts, wetlands, and aquatic habitats.
• Venom: The majority of colubrid snakes are non-venomous.
• Among well-known colubrids are king snakes, water snakes, milk snakes, garter snakes, racers, rat snakes, ring-necked snakes, hog-nosed snakes, and the venomous boomslangs.

Q1: What is antivenom?

These are purified antibodies against venoms or venom components. Antivenoms are produced from antibodies made by animals to injected venoms. Antivenom is the only definitive treatment for effective bites by venomous Australian snakes.

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About Cornea:

• The cornea is the clear outer layer at the front of the eye. 
• It covers the pupil (the opening at the center of the eye), iris (the colored part of the eye), and anterior chamber (the fluid-filled inside of the eye). 
• The cornea’s main function is to refract, or bend light. The cornea is responsible for focusing most of the light that enters the eye.
• Its specific shape plays a key role in how your eyesight works and filters some ultraviolet (UV) rays.
• Except at its margins, the cornea contains no blood vessels, but it does contain many nerves and is very sensitive to pain or touch. 
• Since there are no nutrient-supplying blood vessels in the cornea, tears and the aqueous humor (a watery fluid) in the anterior chamber provide the cornea with nutrients.
• As light passes through the cornea, it is partially refracted before reaching the lens.
  • The curvature of the cornea, which is spherical in infancy but changes with age, gives it its focusing power.
  • When the curve becomes irregular, it causes a focusing defect called astigmatism, in which images appear elongated or distorted.
• Because corneas are the first line of defense for the surface of your eye, they’re also prone to injuries and damage. 
  • The cornea tends to repair itself quickly from minor abrasions.
  • However, deeper abrasions may cause scars to form on the cornea, which causes the cornea to lose its transparency, leading to visual impairment.

Q1: What are ultraviolet (UV) rays?

Ultraviolet (UV) radiation is a form of non-ionizing radiation that is emitted by the sun and artificial sources, such as tanning beds. While it has some benefits for people, including the creation of Vitamin D, it also can cause health risks.

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About Clostridioides difficile bacteria: 

• It is a bacterium that causes an infection of the colon, the longest part of the large intestine. Symptoms can range from diarrhea to life-threatening damage to the colon.
• Illness from C. difficile often occurs after using antibiotic medicines.
• It mostly affects older adults in hospitals or in long-term care settings. People not in care settings or hospitals also can get C. difficile infection. 
• Symptoms
  • Watery diarrhea, mild belly cramping and tenderness.
  • People who have a severe C. difficile infection tend to lose too much bodily fluid, a condition called dehydration.
  • C. difficile infection that is severe and sudden can cause the colon to become inflamed and get larger, called toxic megacolon.
• Transmission: It can be transmitted from patient to patient by the hands of health care workers.
• Roughly one-third of infected individuals will have recurrent infections.
• Treatment: Treatments include a lengthy course of strong antibiotics, which also kill off beneficial bacteria in the gut, and fecal transplants to deliver healthy bacteria.

Q1: What is the gastrointestinal (GI) tract?

The gastrointestinal (GI) tract, also known as the digestive tract or alimentary canal, is a long tube that extends from the mouth to the anus and is responsible for the digestion and absorption of food and nutrients in the human body. It plays a crucial role in breaking down the food we consume into smaller particles and absorbing nutrients to provide energy for bodily functions.

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About Han River:

• It is a major river in South Korea and the fourth longest river on the Korean peninsula.
• Course:
  • It originates from the confluence of the Namhan (South Han) and Bukhan (North Han) rivers in the eastern part of South Korea.
  • The river flows through Seoul, the capital city, and eventually empties into the Yellow Sea.
• Of the Han’s 319-mile (514-km) length, 200 miles (320 km) are navigable, and it has been a valuable river transportation route since ancient times.
• Several ancient Korean kingdoms, including the Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla, vied for control of the river due to its strategic importance.
• In the past, the river was highly polluted due to industrial waste, but significant efforts in the 1980s and 1990s helped restore its water quality.
• The Han River has several islands, including Seonyudo, which has been transformed into a beautiful ecological park.
• Banpo Bridge: Famous for its Moonlight Rainbow Fountain, the Banpo Bridge spans the Han River in Seoul. It has the world's longest bridge fountain.

Q1: Which all countries border the yellow sea?

The Yellow Sea is bordered by China to the west and north, and North and South Korea to the east

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