Correct Answer: C

Rationale: The nucleus is the organelle responsible for controlling the activities of the cell. It contains the cell's genetic material (DNA) and serves as the command center of the cell, regulating gene expression and directing cellular activities. The nucleus plays a crucial role in cell growth, metabolism, and reproduction. While the Golgi apparatus is involved in processing and packaging proteins, the mitochondria are responsible for producing energy in the form of ATP, and ribosomes are involved in protein synthesis, none of these organelles have the primary function of controlling the activities of the cell like the nucleus does. Therefore, the correct answer is the nucleus.

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: The correct answer is B: Ball-and-socket joint. The ball-and-socket joint, like the shoulder joint, allows for the greatest range of motion due to its structure, enabling movement in multiple directions. In contrast, hinge joints, pivot joints, and saddle joints have more restricted ranges of motion compared to ball-and-socket joints. Hinge joints primarily allow movement in one plane, pivot joints allow rotation around a central axis, and saddle joints have limited movement compared to ball-and-socket joints.

Correct Answer: A

Rationale: Alkali metals, such as lithium, sodium, and potassium, are located in Group 1 of the periodic table. This group is known for its highly reactive properties, low melting points, and the tendency to form alkaline solutions when they react with water. Group 2 consists of alkaline earth metals and not alkali metals, making choice B incorrect. Group 7 includes halogens, while Group 8 includes noble gases. These groups do not contain alkali metals, so choices C and D are also incorrect. Therefore, the correct answer is Group 1.

Correct Answer: A

Rationale: - Polygenic inheritance refers to the situation where a trait is influenced by multiple genes, each contributing a small effect to the phenotype. These traits often show continuous variation and are not easily categorized into discrete categories. - Pleiotropy, on the other hand, occurs when a single gene influences multiple, seemingly unrelated traits. This means that a mutation in one gene can lead to multiple phenotypic effects across different traits or characteristics. - Therefore, the key difference between polygenic inheritance and pleiotropy lies in the number of genes involved in influencing a trait (multiple genes in polygenic inheritance vs. one gene in pleiotropy) and the direction of influence (one trait affected by multiple genes in polygenic inheritance vs. multiple traits affected by one gene in pleiotropy).

Correct Answer: C

Rationale: Destructive interference is the term used to describe the phenomenon when two waves meet and their amplitudes are such that they cancel each other out, resulting in a wave with a smaller amplitude or no wave at all. This cancellation effect occurs due to the waves being out of phase. This is in contrast to constructive interference, where two waves combine to produce a wave with a larger amplitude. Refraction is the bending of waves as they pass through different mediums, such as light passing through glass, while diffraction is the bending of waves around obstacles or through openings. In this case, the concept described in the question specifically aligns with destructive interference, making it the correct answer.