Question map
Not attempted Correct Incorrect ★ Bookmarked
Loading…
Q51 (IAS/2020) Science & Technology › New Materials, Energy & Environment-linked Tech › Advanced materials and nanotech Official Key

With reference to carbon nanotubes, consider the following statements : 1. They can be used as carriers of drugs and antigens in the human body. 2. They can be made into artificial blood capillaries for an injured part of human body. 3. They can be used in biochemical sensors. 4. Carbon nanotubes are biodegradable. Which of the statements given above are correct ?

Result
Your answer: —  ·  Correct: C
Explanation

The correct answer is Option 3 (1, 3 and 4 only). Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are cylindrical molecules with unique physicochemical properties that make them highly versatile in biotechnology and medicine.

  • Statement 1 is correct: CNTs possess a high surface area-to-volume ratio, allowing them to be functionalized with ligands to act as efficient carriers for drugs and antigens, delivering them directly to targeted cells.
  • Statement 3 is correct: Due to their exceptional electrical conductivity and sensitivity to surface adsorption, they are widely used in biochemical sensors to detect glucose, proteins, or DNA sequences.
  • Statement 4 is correct: Research has shown that CNTs can be biodegraded by certain enzymes, such as oxidative enzymes (e.g., fungal peroxidase), which mitigates concerns regarding long-term toxicity.
  • Statement 2 is incorrect: While CNTs are used in tissue engineering scaffolds, they are not currently used to create functional artificial blood capillaries, as this requires complex biological integration beyond the scope of simple nanotubes.
How others answered
Each bar shows the % of students who chose that option. Green bar = correct answer, blue outline = your choice.
Community Performance
Out of everyone who attempted this question.
20%
got it right
PROVENANCE & STUDY PATTERN
Guest preview
Don’t just practise – reverse-engineer the question. This panel shows where this PYQ came from (books / web), how the examiner broke it into hidden statements, and which nearby micro-concepts you were supposed to learn from it. Treat it like an autopsy of the question: what might have triggered it, which exact lines in the book matter, and what linked ideas you should carry forward to future questions.
Q. With reference to carbon nanotubes, consider the following statements : 1. They can be used as carriers of drugs and antigens in the huma…
At a glance
Origin: Mostly Current Affairs Fairness: Low / Borderline fairness Books / CA: 0/10 · 7.5/10
You're seeing a guest preview. The Verdict and first statement analysis are open. Login with Google to unlock all tabs.

This is a classic 'Emerging Tech' question where the 'Can be' heuristic rules supreme. While NCERT Class X (Carbon) provides the structural basics (allotropes), the applications are pure Current Affairs. The strategy here is not to find a book that lists all 4 uses, but to understand that in Nanotech, 'possibility' is broad. If it doesn't violate a law of physics, it's likely correct.

How this question is built

This question can be broken into the following sub-statements. Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.

Statement 1
Can carbon nanotubes be used as carriers for drugs and antigens in the human body?
Origin: Web / Current Affairs Fairness: CA heavy Web-answerable

Web source
Presence: 5/5
"Many reported results, including those obtained from in vitro and in vivo experiments, have demonstrated that CNTs can increase the treatment effects while decrease the side and toxic effects of the drugs loaded on them, indicating a considerably bright future for them to be used as drug carriers."
Why this source?
  • Explicitly states experimental evidence (in vitro and in vivo) showing CNTs can improve treatment effects and reduce side/toxic effects of drugs loaded on them.
  • Directly concludes this indicates a promising future for CNTs to be used as drug carriers, while noting pharmacological/toxicological profiles must be clarified.
Web source
Presence: 4/5
"CNTs versatile and effective drug delivery carriers for many small molecule drugs, including drugs for both cancer and non-anticancer indications."
Why this source?
  • Describes CNTs as versatile and effective drug delivery carriers for many small molecule drugs.
  • Specifically notes applicability to both cancer and non-anticancer drug indications, supporting their general use as carriers.

Science , class X (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 4: Carbon and its Compounds > Allotropes of carbon > p. 61
Strength: 5/5
“The structure of graphite Buckminsterfullerene These two different structures result in diamond and graphite having very different physical properties even though their chemical properties are the same. Diamond is the hardest substance known while graphite is smooth and slippery. Graphite is also a very good conductor of electricity unlike other non-metals that you studied in the previous Chapter. Diamonds can be synthesised by subjecting pure carbon to very high pressure and temperature. These synthetic diamonds are small but are otherwise indistinguishable from natural diamonds. Fullerenes form another class of carbon allotropes. The first one to be identified was C-60 which has carbon atoms arranged in the shape of a football.”
Why relevant

Mentions fullerenes (C60) as a class of carbon allotropes related to other carbon nanostructures; shows carbon can form distinct cage/novel structures.

How to extend

A student could note that nanotubes are another carbon allotrope similar to fullerenes and therefore may share properties (size, hollow structure) that make them candidates for carrying molecules.

Science ,Class VIII . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 8: Nature of Matter: Elements, Compounds, and Mixtures > A step further > p. 129
Strength: 4/5
“An example of a 'wonder' material developed by material scientists is graphene aerogel. This is made from carbon and is said to be the lightest material on earth. It is so light that even grass can hold it (Fig. 8.21). It is highly porous and therefore, has a high absorbing capacity. For this reason, it can potentially be used as an environmental cleaner, for example, to clean up oil spills in both seas and on land. It is useful in fabricating energy-saving devices and special coatings for buildings.”
Why relevant

Describes graphene aerogel, a novel porous carbon material with high absorbance and use in environmental cleanup — an example of engineered carbon materials used to take up/hold substances.

How to extend

One could infer that engineered carbon materials can adsorb and carry other substances and thus hypothesize nanotubes might carry drugs/antigens by adsorption or encapsulation.

Science , class X (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 4: Carbon and its Compounds > 4.2.4 Homologous Series > p. 66
Strength: 4/5
“You have seen that carbon atoms can be linked together to form chains of varying lengths. These chains can be branched also. In addition, hydrogen atom or other atoms on these carbon chains can be replaced by any of the functional groups that we saw above. The presence of a functional group such as alcohol decides the properties of the carbon compound, regardless of the length of the carbon chain. For example, the chemical properties of CH3OH, C2H5OH, C3H7OH and C4H9OH are all very similar. Hence, such a series of compounds in which the same functional group substitutes for hydrogen in a carbon chain is called a homologous series.”
Why relevant

Explains that functional groups on carbon chains determine properties regardless of chain length — shows that adding functional groups to carbon frameworks changes interactions.

How to extend

A student can extend this to the idea that functionalising carbon nanotubes (attaching groups) could tailor their solubility/biocompatibility and drug-binding — key for carrier design.

Science , class X (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 4: Carbon and its Compounds > What you have learnt > p. 77
Strength: 3/5
“• n Carbon is a versatile element that forms the basis for all living organisms and many of the things we use.• n This large variety of compounds is formed by carbon because of its tetravalency and the property of catenation that it exhibits.• n Covalent bonds are formed by the sharing of electrons between two atoms so that both can achieve a completely filled outermost shell.• n Carbon forms covalent bonds with itself and other elements such as hydrogen, oxygen, sulphur, nitrogen and chlorine.• n Carbon also forms compounds containing double and triple bonds between carbon atoms.”
Why relevant

Highlights carbon's tetravalency and catenation leading to many carbon compounds and bonds with elements like oxygen, nitrogen, etc.

How to extend

This suggests carbon nanostructures can form covalent or noncovalent interactions with biological molecules or functional groups, implying routes to attach drugs/antigens.

Science , class X (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 5: Life Processes > Activity 5.7 > p. 91
Strength: 3/5
“We have seen in previous sections that blood transports food, oxygen and waste materials in our bodies. In Class IX, we learnt about blood being a fluid connective tissue. Blood consists of a fluid medium called plasma in which the cells are suspended. Plasma transports food, carbon dioxide and nitrogenous wastes in dissolved form. Oxygen is carried by the red blood corpuscles. Many other substances like salts, are also transported by the blood. We thus need a pumping organ to push blood around the body, a network of tubes to reach all the tissues and a system in place to ensure that this network can be repaired if damaged.”
Why relevant

Describes blood as a transport medium that carries dissolved substances throughout the body.

How to extend

Using the basic fact that the bloodstream transports carried agents, a student could combine this with nanotube carrier potential to assess delivery feasibility and need for biocompatibility/size considerations.

Statement analysis

This statement analysis shows book citations, web sources and indirect clues. The first statement (S1) is open for preview.

Login with Google to unlock all statements.

Statement analysis

This statement analysis shows book citations, web sources and indirect clues. The first statement (S1) is open for preview.

Login with Google to unlock all statements.

Statement analysis

This statement analysis shows book citations, web sources and indirect clues. The first statement (S1) is open for preview.

Login with Google to unlock all statements.

How to study

This tab shows concrete study steps: what to underline in books, how to map current affairs, and how to prepare for similar questions.

Login with Google to unlock study guidance.

Micro-concepts

Discover the small, exam-centric ideas hidden in this question and where they appear in your books and notes.

Login with Google to unlock micro-concepts.

The Vault

Access hidden traps, elimination shortcuts, and Mains connections that give you an edge on every question.

Login with Google to unlock The Vault.

✓ Thank you! We'll review this.

SIMILAR QUESTIONS

IAS · 2015 · Q23 Relevance score: 1.23

With reference to the use of nanotechnology in health sector, which of the following statements is/are correct? 1. Targeted drug delivery is made possible by nanotechnology. 2. Nanotechnology can largely contribute to gene therapy. Select the correct answer using the code given below.

IAS · 2022 · Q8 Relevance score: 1.06

Consider the following statements : 1. Other than those made by humans, nanoparticles do not exist in nature. 2. Nanoparticles of some metallic oxides are used in the manufacture of some cosmetics. 3. Nanoparticles of some commercial products which enter the environment are unsafe for humans. Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?

IAS · 2022 · Q56 Relevance score: 1.02

With reference to polyethylene terephthalate, the use of which is so widespread in our daily lives, consider the following statements : 1. Its fibres can be blended with wool and cotton fibres to reinforce their properties. 2. Containers made of it can be used to store any alcoholic beverage. 3. Bottles made of it can be recycled into other products. 4. Articles made of it can be easily disposed of by incineration without causing greenhouse gas emissions. Which of the statements given above are correct ?

IAS · 2022 · Q39 Relevance score: 0.93

With reference to Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs), consider the following statements : 1. They enable the digital representation of physical assets. 2. They are unique cryptographic tokens that exist on a blockchain. 3. They can be traded or exchanged a equivalency and therefore can be used as a medium of commercial transactions. Which of the statements given above are correct ?

IAS · 2024 · Q17 Relevance score: 0.90

With reference to perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) that are used in making many consumer products, consider the following statements : 1. PFAS are found to be widespread in drinking water, food and food packaging materials. 2. PFAS are not easily degraded in the environment. 3. Persistent exposure to PFAS can lead to bioaccumulation in animal bodies. Which of the statements given above are correct ?