RBSE Solutions For Class 12 Biology Chapter 18: Oil, Fibres, Spices and Medicine Producing Plants | Textbook Important Questions & Answers

RBSE Class 12 Biology Chapter 18- Oil, Fibres, Species and Medicine Producing Plants provides complete information related to different types of oil-producing plants, types of fatty oil, the economic importance of oil, characters of different types of oil, uses of oil, fibre producing plants, types of fibres, spices producing plants, medicine producing plants and lots more.

These important questions help students to enhance their conceptual knowledge and are completely prepared from the exam point of view, helping students revise the entire chapter.

The Rajasthan Board Class 12 Solutions help students by providing a strategy to prepare for various board examinations and also for medical exams like NEET, AIIMS, etc. By practising these important questions, students can gain deep knowledge about the topic.

RBSE Class 12 Biology Chapter 18 Important Questions

RBSE Biology Chapter 18: MCQ Type Questions

Q.1. Who is known as the father of Medicine?

(a) Charak.

(b) Dhanvantri.

(c) Hippocrates.

(d) Theophrastus.

Sol: (c) Hippocrates.

Q.2.The tangy taste of the red chilli is mainly due to the ________.

(a) Curcumin.

(b) Capsaicin.

(c) Thymol.

(d) Anethole.

Sol: (b) Capsaicin.

Q.3. Morphine is obtained from ________.

(a) Opium.

(b) Quinine.

(c) Asafoetida.

(d) Rauwolfia.

Sol: (a) Opium.

Q.4. From which part of the plant cloves are produced?

(a) Seed.

(b) Fruit.

(c) Floral bud.

(d) None of the above.

Sol: (c) Floral bud.

Q.5. Fibre obtained from Crotalaria junta is commonly known as ________.

(a) Cotton.

(b) Coir.

(c) Sunn.

(d) Jute.

Sol: (c) Sunn.

Q.6. Which of the following parts of the plant produces Munj fibre?

(a) Roots.

(b) Leaves.

(c) Stem.

(d) Seeds.

Sol: (b) Leaves.

Q.7.Which of the following plants produce Edible oil that is obtained from the endosperm?

(a) Sunflower.

(b) Coconut.

(c) Castro.

(d) Groundnut.

Sol: (b) Coconut.

Q.8. From which plant both oil and fibres are obtained?

(a) Coconut.

(b) Cotton.

(c) Flax seeds.

(d) All of the above.

Sol: (d) All of the above.

Q.9. Which of the following plants produce a strong odour – Allyl Isothiocyanate?

(a) Soybean.

(b) Groundnut.

(c) Castor.

(d) Mustard.

Sol: (d) Mustard.

Q.10. Which of the following plants does not contain fatty or fixed oil?

(a) Mustard.

(b) Coconut.

(c) Rose.

(d) Sunflower.

Sol: (c) Rose.

RBSE Biology Chapter 18: Short Answer Type Questions

Q.1. Which substance is the reason for the strong smell in mustard oil?

Sol. The strong smell in mustard oil is mainly because of the presence of Allyl Isothiocyanate. It is the organosulfur compound with the formula CH₂CHCH₂NCS. It is a colourless oil, which is responsible for the pungent taste and strong smell in mustard, radish plant, etc.

Q.2. Why fennel seeds taste sweet while chewing.

Sol. Fennel seeds give sweet taste while chewing, which is mainly because of the presence of a chemical named Licorice(Anese). It is a herbaceous, flowering plant of the bean family which is useful for extracting sweet and aromatic flavouring from its roots. Similarly, the fennel seeds also contain flavours produced from Licorice.

Q.3. What is the botanical name and the family of castor plants?

Sol. The botanical name of the castor plant is Ricinus communis. A castor plant belongs to the family of Euphorbiaceae.

Q.4.Why is turmeric yellow in colour?

Sol. The colour of the turmeric is yellow and it is because of the presence of the primary bioactive substance called curcumin. It is the natural polyphenol with the antioxidant properties.

Q.5. What is Quinine? Which disease is cured by the Quinine?

Sol. Quinine is a very effective medicinal plant, which is used to treat various diseases. It is obtained from the barks of the cinchona tree. This medicinal plant is used for treating pneumonia, malaria fever and tonsillitis. Quinine is used both in the form of tonic, tablets, and antiseptic solution, etc.

Q.6. Differentiate between non drying oil and drying oil with the help of examples.

Sol. Non drying oil is defined as the oil, which does not form any layer on the surface or becomes hard when it comes in contact with air or moisture.

Examples of non drying oil include Castor oil, Groundnut oil and Mustard oil.

The drying oil is defined as the oil, which forms a flexible layer on the surface and becomes hard when it comes in contact with air or moisture.

Examples of drying oil include Flaxseed oil and Soybean oil.

Q.7. What are fibre producing plants?

Sol. Plant fibres are used for the fulfilment of human requirements. From an economic point of view, fibre producing plants are the most important and found next to the food crops. Among the three basic requirements in human beings, fibre holds a second basic requirement as clothes are necessary after food. From ancient times, plant fibres are more used to cover the body compared to wool, silk and fur of the animals.

Q.8. What are the plant fibres?

Sol. These are the ones that are obtained from plants. These fibres are extracted from the plants to make fabrics.

Cotton: It is one of the plant fibres that are used to make clothes. It is a soft staple fibre that is found as a boll around the seeds in a cotton plant.

Jute: It is a vegetable fibre that is soft, shiny and is spun into coarse strong threads.

Q.9. Give any three medicinal uses of Quinine?

Sol. Quinine is a natural product obtained from the barks of the cinchona tree.

1. Quinine is used in the treatment of tonsillitis and arthritis.
2. Quinine is the most effective and extensively used medicine for malaria.
3. Quinine is useful in the treatment of pneumonia and amoebic dysentery.

Q.10. How many alkaloids are present in opium?

Sol. There are more than 25 different types of alkaloids found in opium. Besides these alkaloids, opium also contains gum, resin and masonic acid. Some of the important alkaloids present in opium are Morphine, COdeine, Thebaine, Narcotine, Papaverine, Opinion, etc.

Q.11. What are the different types of plant fibres

Sol. Plant fibres are obtained from various parts of the plant body. On the basis of their origin and structure, plant fibres are of three types.

1. Surface fibres.
2. Hard or leaf fibres.
3. Soft, Stem or Bast fibres.

Q.12. What are the uses of opium plants?

Sol. Opium is a sedative, antispasmodic, anodyne, sudorific, narcotic and hypnotic plant. Its alkaloids affect the cerebrospinal nervous system of humans.

Heroine, a narcotic substance is prepared from the opium plant.

Important uses of opium plant are:

1. Codeine is used to cure cough.
2. Codeine is used to cure other health-related issues like dysentery and diarrhoea.
3. Codeine is a very strong analgesic, therefore it is used as body pain balm or used in a spray to get relieved from the aches and other body pain.

Q.13. What are the advantages of plant Fibres?

Sol. The advantages of plant Fibres

• It is cost-effective.
• Plant fibres are biodegradable.
• They possess good electrical resistance.
• They are skin-friendly and cause no irritation.
• They have a low specific weight and higher strength.
• Their production requires less energy and emits low carbon dioxide.

Q.14. Write the Botanical names of Ashwagandha, Neem, Shatavari, A.Brahmi, B.Brahmi and Tulsi.

Sol. Here is the Botanical name of:

1. Ashwagandha– Withania somnifera.
2. Neem– Azadirachta indica.
3. Shatavari– Asparagus racemosus.
4. A.Brahmi– Bacopa monnieri.
5. Tulsi– Ocimum tenuiflorum.

Q.15. What are the medicinal uses of Asafoetida?

Sol. Asafoetida is yellow-brown, dry, acellular oleo-gum resins, which has a bitter taste and very strong smell. Asafoetida is also called the Devil’s Dung.

The medicinal uses of Asafoetida are as follows:

1. Asafoetida is used to treat digestive disorders.
2. Asafoetida is used in the treatment of chronic bronchitis, colic pain, toothaches, etc.
3. Many ayurvedic medicines are made from Asafoetida, such as Hingrivati, Hingvastak, etc.

RBSE Biology Class 12: Long Answer Type Questions

Q.1. What is fatty oil? Explain its types with examples

Sol. Fatty oil is non-volatile, complex organic compounds, which are insoluble in water and remain in liquid or solid or semi solids state at normal room temperature.

These are obtained from different plant parts such as fruits and seeds.

Depending on their properties, there are four different types of fatty oil.

Drying oil

A thin flexible layer is formed when the oil is kept open. This type of oil is called drying oil. Example – Licensed, safflower, soybean, etc.

Semi drying oil

A thin flexible layer is formed on the surface of oil when kept open for a long period. Example – Cotton seeds oil, sesame seeds oil and sunflower oil.

Non-drying oil.

These oils do not form any layer on its surface when it comes in contact with the air and moisture. Example – Castor oil, groundnut oil and mustard oil.

Fat or tallow oil.

These oils remain in solid-state or in a semi-solid state even at normal temperature.

Example – Palm oil and coconut oil.

Q.2. List out the economic importance of groundnut plants.

Sol. Groundnut plant is a legume crop grown mainly for its edible seeds. The oil obtained from these seeds are non drying edible oil and it is golden yellow in colour and has a pleasant smell. The economic importance of groundnut plant includes:

1. Seeds of groundnut are very nutritive, therefore they are consumed both raw or boiled or roasted.
2. The oil obtained from these plants is used for cooking food and frying edible food products.
3. This groundnut oil is also used for making soap and also used in cosmetic industries as a lubricant in the manufacturing of cosmetics products.
4. Ghee is also obtained after the hydrogenation of this oil.
5. Oil cake formed after the extraction of oil from the groundnut seeds is used as an animal feed.
6. Groundnut seeds are rich in protein content, therefore it is also used as protein-based drinks and other protein powder.
7. Groundnut oil is mixed with insecticides to increase their toxicity.
8. As these plants are leguminous plants, containing Rhizobium bacteria, it is used for crop rotation and mixed in crops.

Q.3. Write the botanical name, plant name and useful parts of the respective plant for the following products:  Coconut, Munja, Clove and Quinine.

Sol.

Q.4. Explain in detail about the Lovage.

Sol.

Common name – “Ajwain”

Botanical name – Trachyspermum Ammi

Family-Apiaceae (Umbelliferae)

Useful parts of the plant – Mature dry cremocarp fruit.

Origin and production.

Lovage is believed to have originated in Europe, Asia and North Africa.

In India, it is grown in few states including Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, etc.

Plant

Lovage is an erect, weak and long branched perennial herb ranging from 1 to 15 inches in length. It has an aromatic odour. The leaves are ultimately compound. The inflorescence is a compound umbel and bears small white or light blue flowers. The fruits are small, rough, and curved cremocrap. These fruits contain volatile oil. It grows during the winter season as a rabi crop.

Uses.

1. The fruits are used as a species in making biscuits and other fried edibles.
2. These species are given to a lactating mother to strengthen their immune system.
3. Thymol, an essential oil is extracted from these fruits and used in the manufacturing of pain balm, creams, soaps, etc.
4. The fruits are carminative, stimulant and enhance immunity. Hence, it is used as a cure for abdominal ache, joint pain, cough and asthma problems.

Q.5. List out the economic importance of coconut plants.

Sol. The coconut tree is a wonderful boon of nature to man. All parts of the coconut tree are useful. From the economic point of view, it is the second important and edible plant, which provides fruits, fibre, oil and a lot more.

Uses of Coconut Plant.

1. It is an edible oil, widely used as a cooking medium.
2. Coconut milk and tender coconut is an excellent and nutritive drink.
3. Oil cakes produced after the extraction of oil are used as an animal feed.
4. Many other foodstuffs like margarine, candy, sweets, biscuits, etc are made from coconut oil.
5. In India, the coconut fruit is considered as the auspicious fruit for religious festivals, pooja, and other rituals.
6. Other beverages and sweet drinks are prepared by making incisions on inflorescence and sugar are obtained from the stems.
7. Coir fibre is made from the mesocarp of the fruit wall and is used for making ropes, brushes, jute bags, strings, brooms, mattresses. etc.
8. Coconut oil is very popularly known as hair oil. Apart from the hair oil, it is also used in the manufacturing of many cosmetic goods including face wash, soaps, shampoos, shaving cream, lotions, moisturising creams, etc.

Q.6. List out the economic importance of cotton plants.

Sol. Both cotton fibres and edible oil are obtained from cotton plants.

The important uses of fibres are:

1. Cotton clothes are produced from cotton plants.
2. Cotton fibres are used for absorbent cotton and bandages.
3. Cottonseed is also used for extraction of a semi-drying edible oil.
4. Cotton fibres are used in blankets, ropes, pillows, mattresses, quilts, etc.
5. Cotton fibres are made up of pure cellulose, hence these are the raw material in cellulose industries.
6. They are used in making carpets, flooring, tyres, other materials which we use daily, like towels, etc.

Q.7. List out the economic importance of cloves and pepper.

Sol. Both cloves and black pepper are used as a species. Clove is a native plant of Moluccas island. It is a medium-sized plant with beautiful red coloured flowers. Cloves are obtained from the unopened or partially opened flower buds after drying.

Black pepper is called the king of species. It is widely cultivated in India. It is also obtained from the flower.

The economic importance of cloves and black pepper are:

1. Cloves and black pepper are the main ingredients of garam masala.
2. Clove oil is used in the manufacture of toothpaste, soaps, cosmetics, bakery products, syrups, medicines, syrups, etc.
3. Cloves are commonly used in many medicines, especially in dental problems to cure tooth pain and other tooth-related disorders.
4. Black pepper is also used to preserve food items.
5. Both clove and pepper are the constituents of many ayurvedic medicines.
6. Black pepper is used to make sauces, chutneys, tasty drinks and a lot more.
7. Black pepper is the best medicine and home remedy for cold, cough and fever.
8. The decoction of black pepper with sugar ginger, cloves, basil helps to cure fever and throat related problems.

Q.8. What is sunn plant? List out the uses of sunn plants.

Sol. Sunn is an annual herbaceous plant reaching up to a height of 1.5 meters. It is grown during the rainy season. This plant has great economical value.

Listed below are the few uses of sunn fibres.

1. The whole plant is useful for green manure.
2. Ropes are made after twisting the sunn fibres.
3. The gum obtained from sunn seeds is useful in printing industries.
4. Canvas, bags, fishing nets and their strings are made from sunn fibres.
5. Cigarette papers and tissue papers are made from the immature sunn fibres.

Q.9. Write in detail about the castor plant.

Sol. Castor plant is a tall, perennial and evergreen small tree, which is a height of about 9 to 10meters long. There are many varieties of castor plants and basically originated from north africa. In India, there are many places where castor plants are abundantly grown. Karnataka, Telangana, Rajasthan, Orissa, Madhya pradesh are few states in India, where castor plants are found in larger quantities.

Botanical name –– Ricinus communis.

Family –Euphorbiaceae.

Useful plant part — Endosperm.

Uses of castor oil.

• This oil is also used for manufacturing insecticides.
• Castor oil is used in the production of artificial leather, plastics and oil clothes.
• By the process of hydrogenation, some products like polish, paints, grease and varnishes are prepared.
• The fatty oil of castor is cathartic and lubricant. It is used as a mild purgative in the treatment of constipation.
• It is used in the preparations of transparent soaps and toothpastes. It is also used as lubricant for machines, tools and aeroplanes.

Q.10. Write a brief note on medicinal producing plants.

Sol. There are many plants which are grown for the purpose of medicines. This practise has been followed by our ancestors. In those days people used to treat the patients with many herbs, medicines prepared from the roots, flowers, tree bark, etc.

Rig veda is the oldest treatise in which various medicinal plants have been included. Ayurveda Is the authentic indian treatise , which was written about 300 years back. According to history, most of the medicinal plants are wild, which are found inside the forests in the mountains, and few are even found deep in the sea and oceans. Only few of these medicinal plants can be cultivated for the extraction of medicines.

There are many species of medicinal plants and their importance to treat disease is mainly due to the presence of different chemical constituents present in them. These include alkaloids, glucosides, tannins, resins, volatile oils, gums and a lot more.

Here is the list of a few medicinal plants and their uses.

Serpent wood.

This plant is also known as the Mad’s medicine. It is native to India. It is a perennial, evergreen plant. The medicinal uses of Serpent wood are:

• It is used in the treatment of an acute mental alignment. Therefore, it is also called the Mad’s medicine.
• It is used as an antidote or antitoxin for the snake, scorpion and insect bits.
• The decoction prepared from these plants are useful for treating diarrhoea, dysentery, and other intestinal problems.

Opium Plant

It is a native minor. Today because of its medicinal value it has been cultivated in many countries world wide. It is an annual unbranched plant with a height of 1 to 3 feet.

The medicinal uses of the opium plant are:

• It is used to cure cough.
• It is used for dysentery and diarrhoea.
• it is used to relieve body pains.
• It also induces sleep as it is a narcotic plant.

Quinine

It is a very effective medicinal plant, which is used to treat various diseases. It is obtained from the barks of the cinchona tree. Quinine is used both in the form of tonic, tablets, and antiseptic solution, etc.

The medicinal uses of the quinine plant are:

• Quinine is used in the treatment of tonsillitis and arthritis.
• Quinine is a natural product obtained from the barks of the cinchona tree.
• It is the most effective and extensively used medicine for malaria.
• It is also useful in the treatment of pneumonia and amoebic dysentery.

Asafoetida

Asafoetida is yellow-brown, dry, acellular oleo-gum resins, which has a bitter taste and very strong smell. Asafoetida is native to central Asia, eastern Iran, Afghanistan and today it is grown worldwide for its medicinal uses. Asafoetida is also called the Devil’s Dung.

The medicinal uses of Asafoetida are as follows:

• Asafoetida is used to treat digestive disorders.
• It is used in the treatment of chronic bronchitis, colic pain, toothaches, etc.
• Many ayurvedic medicines are made from Asafoetida, such as Hingrivati, Hingvastak, etc.

Turmeric plant.

It is an annual or perennial herb, found with a thick underground stem called rhizome. It is yellow in colour because of the presence of a primary bioactive substance called curcumin.

The medicinal uses of turmeric plant are:

• It is used as both spice and medicine.
• It is the natural polyphenol with the antioxidant properties.
• It is an effective medicine for pure blood and other allergies.
• It is used as an antiseptic agent for both external internal injuries.
• It is widely used to cure skin infections and as an agent in making cosmetics, lotion, face packs, etc.
• Turmeric is used as a fabric dye for cotton, silk and woollen fibres.

Apart from the medicinal uses, turmeric is used as a sacred material in many religious and cultural functions.

Q.11. What is the difference between oil and fat?

Sol. Both oil and fat are complex organic compounds which are insoluble in water. Other differences between oil and fat are:

Q.12. Explain in detail about the Cumin spice.

Sol.

Common name – Jeera

Botanical name – Cuminum cyminum

Family- Apiaceae (Umbelliferae)

A useful part of the plant – Dry ripe cremocarp fruit.

Origin and production.

• Cumin seeds originated in the Levant state of Mediterranean region. It is cultivated in Iran, India, Morocco, China, Russia, Indonesia, Japan and Turkey.
• Iran is the largest producer and exporter of cumin seeds.
• In India, it is cultivated at commercial scale in Punjab state and in Uttar Pradesh (U.P)

Plant

• Cumins are cultivated as a rabi crop.
• Cumin plant is a small, normally unbranched annual herb having the slender and glabrous stem. The leaves are long, pinnately compounds and dissected into a fine segment.
• The inflorescence is a compound umbel with small light purple coloured buds and white flowers.
• The fruit is long, oval-shaped cremocrap which splits into two mericarps.
• On the surface of the fruit, there are five prominent primary and four secondary stripes.
• Fruits contain 4.0 per cent automatic oil is known as cumin aldehyde and 10.0 per cent light coloured non-drying fixed oil.

Uses.

• Cumin seeds are used in inducing fragrance in vegetables.
• The aromatic oil is used in perfumery and inducting essence in soups and syrups.
• It is stimulant and carminative and used in the treatment of flatulence and diarrhoea.
• Roasted cumin powder is used in adding essence in curd preparations, in drinks and also as an ingredient in many Ayurvedic powders.

Q.13. Write a short note on Quinine.

Sol. Quinine is produced from the barks of the cinchona tree. The bark of the stem cinchona tree contains quinine alkaloid in the highest amount. The bark is peeled out, dried and medicines are extracted.

More than thirty different types of alkaloids have been identified from the bark of different species of the cinchona tree.

Some of these are Quinine, Quinidine, Cinchonine, etc. Dome minor alkaloids found are Cinchotine, Hydroquinone

Uses of Quinine

1. Quinine is the most effective and extensively used medicine for malaria.
2. It functions by targeting the schizont stage of the parasites.
3. It is useful in the treatment of pneumonia and amoebic dysentery.
4. It is also used as tonic and antiseptic.
5. It is used in the treatment of tonsillitis and arthritis.

Q.14. List out the economic importance of mustard plants.

Sol. Mustard plants are long, annual plants with weak and poor branched herbs. These plants are extremely important. Listed below are a few of them.

• The oil obtained from the mustard seeds is an important edible oil, which is used for cooking food.
• The oil obtained from the mustard seeds are also used for body massage, hair oil, and also for lightening the lamps.
• The obtained oil cake is used as an animal feed.
• The mustard oil is used for the production of substitutes of soap and rubber.
• This oil is also used as lubricants for machines and other machinery goods.
• This oil is used in tanning industries for softening leather goods.
• Apart from mustard oil, mustard seeds are also used for tempering dishes and used as the main ingredient in pickles.

Q.15. Classify plant fibres on the basis of origin.

Sol. Fibre producing plants.

Plant fibres are used for the fulfilment of human requirements.

From an economic point of view, the fibre producing plants are important just next to the food crops.

Out of the three basic requirements of humans, clothes are the second basic requirements.

From ancient times, plant fibres were used by men to cover their body. In comparison to plant fibres, animal fibres such as wool, silk and fur have limited use.

Types of fibres

Plant fibres are obtained from various parts of the plant body. On the basis of their origin and structure, plant fibres are of three types.

1. Surface fibres: These are produced as outgrowths from plant parts such as seed or surface of the fruit.
2. Soft, Stem or Bast fibres: These originate from phloem fibres of the stem of dicotyledonous plants. These are a special type of narrow, elongated and lignifies cells.

Example- Jute, Patan and Hemp.

1. Hard or leaf fibres: These are derived from the leaves of monocotyledonous plants such as Moonflower plants, air plants, patera plants, etc.

Classification of Plant Fibres

On the basis of the utility, the plant fibres were classified into six groups by an economic botanist A.F.Hill in 1952.

1. Textile fibres: These fibres are used to make clothes, ropes, fibre strings, cloth bags, etc.
2. Brush fibres: These fibres are used to make brooms, brushes, etc. Example – Leaves of a palm tree.
3. Plaiting and rough weaving fibres: These fibres are used to make baskets, mats, caps, cushions, etc. Example – Bamboo.
4. Filling fibres: These fibres are used to make blankets, pillows and also for filling mattresses. Example – cotton.
5. Natural fibres: These fibres are directly used as clothes. Example – Broussonetia papyrifera, etc.
6. Papermaking fibres: These fibres are used to make paper, cardboard, notebooks, etc.

Example – Bamboo, certain grasses, Populus alba and Eucalyptus.

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