Statement (I): Wood is essentially an organic substance, made up of a skeleton of cellulose impregnated with lignin. Statement (II): The organic substances are not susceptible to attack by both bacteria and fungi.
- ABoth Statement (I) and Statement (II) are individually true and Statement (II) is the correct explanation of Statement (I)
- BBoth Statement (I) and Statement (II) are individually true but Statement (II) is not the correct explanation of Statement (I)
- CStatement (I) is true but Statement (II) is falseCorrect
- DStatement (I) is false but Statement (II) is true
Solution
Concept
Wood is organic (cellulose + lignin), so bacteria and fungi can attack it.
Step-by-step solution
1. Check Statement (I): Wood is an organic material. Its skeleton is cellulose, bound and stiffened by lignin. So (I) is true. 2. Check Statement (II): Organic substances are food for bacteria and fungi. So they ARE attacked by them. (II) says they are not, so (II) is false. 3. (I) true and (II) false, so the answer is option C.
Explanation
Wood is made of cellulose fibres held together by lignin, so it is an organic material. Because it is organic, fungi and bacteria can attack it and cause decay (dry rot, wet rot). So Statement (I) is correct and Statement (II) is wrong.
Why the other options are wrong
A: Statement (II) is false, so it cannot explain (I). B: Statement (II) is false, so both cannot be true. D: Statement (I) is true, not false.
Shortcut
Organic means it can rot. Any statement saying organic matter is safe from fungi is false.
Common mistake
Missing the word 'not' in Statement (II) and choosing A.
Correct answer: C) Statement (I) is true but Statement (II) is false