UPSC Quiz – 2024 : IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs Quiz 24th October 2024

Black Sea:

·       It is a large in land sea located at the southeastern extremity of Europe.

·       It is one of the marginal seas of the Atlantic Ocean.

·       It covers an area of approximately 436,000 square kilometers (168,000 square miles).

·       It is bound to the west by the Balkan Peninsula in Southeastern Europe, to the east by the Caucasus, to the north by the East European Plains, and to the south by Anatolia of Western Asia.

Bordering countries:

·       The sea is bordered to the north by Russia and Ukraine, Turkey to the south, Bulgaria to the west, and Georgia to the east.

·       Romania also has an opening to the Black Sea.

·       The Crimean Peninsula extends into it from the north.

·       Russia has the longest coastline on the sea (2,300 km), followed by Turkey (1,329 km) and Ukraine (1,282 km).

·       It is connected with the Aegean Sea (an arm of the Mediterranean Sea) through the Bosporus Strait, the Sea of Marmara, and the Dardanelles Strait, and with the Sea of Azov by the Kerch Strait.

·       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.

·       It is one of ISRO’s most significant steps towards developing autonomous docking technology.

·       The mission involves two vehicles—‘Chaser’ and the ‘Target’—coming together and connecting in space.

·       Docking systems allow two spacecraft to connect in orbit, enabling critical operations like assembling spacestations, refueling, or transferring astronauts and cargo.

·       It will also test how well the combined spacecraft maintains stability and control after docking, ensuring smooth operations for future missions.

·       India’s SPADEX experiment is unique because it focuses on developing indigenous, scalable, and cost-effective docking technology.

·       This experiment involves two spacecraft docking autonomously in orbit, demonstrating precision, navigation, and control capabilities critical for future missions.

·       SPADEX is designed to serve a wide range of spacecraft sizes and mission objectives, including potential collaborations for building space stations or deep space exploration,”

·       The history of docking systems dates back to the Cold War when the Soviet Union achieved the first successful docking in space.

·       It also has therapeutic properties for diseases like endocrine, metabolic, immune and cardiovascular diseases, because of its effect on cellular signalling systems.

·       Stevia suppresses Protein Kinase C (PKC) phosphorylation, which alters downstream pathways that cause inflammation, a significant cause of endocrine metabolic and cardiovascular issues.

·       This study shows Stevia’s promise in this field for the first time.

·       The study also found that active stevia molecules strongly interact with AMPK, highlighting the need for additional research.

·       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.