In the context of human diseases, 'Elephantiasis' is caused by the filarial worm Wuchereria bancrofti, which is transmitted by the bite of the female: MCQ with Answer and Explanation

Explanation:
Gibberellins stimulate the synthesis of hydrolytic enzymes (e.g., amylase) that mobilize stored food reserves, promoting germination. Abscisic acid induces and maintains dormancy. Ethylene promotes ripening, auxin cell elongation.

Explanation:
Antonie van Leeuwenhoek, a Dutch microscopist, designed single-lens microscopes and observed bacteria, protozoa, sperm cells, and RBCs for the first time, calling them 'animalcules'. Hooke observed dead cork cells. Schleiden proposed that plants are composed of cells, Virchow stated 'Omnis cellula e cellula'. Leeuwenhoek is rightly considered the father of microbiology for his pioneering observations of living microbes.

Explanation:
Imbibition is a physical process where solid, hydrophilic (water-loving) colloidal materials (like cellulose, pectin, proteins, and starch) adsorb water, causing a tremendous increase in their volume and generating significant imbibitional pressure. This process is the very first step in seed germination. When a dry seed is exposed to water, its cell walls and storage materials imbibe water, causing the seed to swell, rupturing the seed coat, and initiating the metabolic activities required for the seedling to grow. It is also responsible for the splitting of rocks by plant roots.