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Q.171 Zoology ⭐ 360° Option Elimination Active
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NEET 2021 Zoology Question 171 Solution

Topic: Microbes in Human Welfare · Official NTA Booklet Code M1
NEET 2021 Zoology Question 171: Microbial Production of Organic Acids

Question

Match List - I with List - II. (a) Aspergillus niger (i) Acetic Acid (b) Acetobacter aceti (ii) Lactic Acid (c) Clostridium butylicum (iii) Citric Acid (d) Lactobacillus (iv) Butyric Acid List - I List - II Choose the correct answer from the options given below. (a) (b) (c) (d)

  1. (1)(iii) (i) (iv) (ii)
  2. (2)(i) (ii) (iii) (iv)
  3. (3)(ii) (iii) (i) (iv)
  4. (4)(iv) (ii) (i) (iii)
✓
Verified Against NTA Final Answer Key
Option (1) : (a)-(iii), (b)-(i), (c)-(iv), (d)-(ii)
📚 Microbes in Human Welfare Easy
📋 Given Parameters & Problem Setup
List I (Microorganisms) (a) Aspergillus niger, (b) Acetobacter aceti, (c) Clostridium butylicum, (d) Lactobacillus
List II (Organic Acids) (i) Acetic Acid, (ii) Lactic Acid, (iii) Citric Acid, (iv) Butyric Acid
⚡

The 30-Second Exam Hall Shortcut: ⚡ "Match Root Names: Acetobacter → Acetic, Clostridium butylicum → Butyric"

⏱️ Save ~25 seconds

The organism names directly reveal their acids: Acetobacter aceti -> Acetic acid ((b)-(i)), Clostridium butylicum -> Butyric acid ((c)-(iv)), and Aspergillus niger -> Citric acid ((a)-(iii)). Looking at options, only Option (1) matches!

1 Match by name: Acetobacter aceti -> Acetic acid ((b) -> (i)).
2 Match by name: Clostridium butylicum -> Butyric acid ((c) -> (iv)).
3 Match Lactobacillus -> Lactic acid ((d) -> (ii)).
4 Match Aspergillus niger (fungus) -> Citric acid ((a) -> (iii)).
5 Match pattern (iii), (i), (iv), (ii) -> Option (1).
🛡️
Why You Can 100% Trust This Shortcut: NCERT Biology · Microbes in Human Welfare (Chemicals, Enzymes and other Bioactive Molecules: Aspergillus niger (a fungus) of citric acid, Acetobacter aceti (a bacterium) of acetic acid, Clostridium butylicum (a bacterium) of butyric acid and Lactobacillus (a bacterium) of lactic acid).
📐

Step-by-Step Rigorous Workflow & Mathematical Proof

Step 1

Microbial Organic Acid Producers in Industrial Biotechnology

Microbes are utilized commercially for the aerobic and anaerobic fermentation of organic acids: - (a) *Aspergillus niger*: A filamentous ascomycete fungus; primary industrial producer of Citric Acid (used as an acidifier and preservative in food/beverages). - (b) *Acetobacter aceti*: An obligate aerobic bacterium; oxidizes ethanol into Acetic Acid (vinegar). - (c) *Clostridium butylicum*: An obligate anaerobic endospore-forming bacterium; ferments carbohydrates to produce Butyric Acid. - (d) *Lactobacillus*: Lactic acid bacteria (LAB); converts lactose/glucose into Lactic Acid.

Aspergillus niger⟶Citric Acid[(a)→(iii)]Acetobacter aceti⟶Acetic Acid[(b)→(i)]Clostridium butylicum⟶Butyric Acid[(c)→(iv)]Lactobacillus⟶Lactic Acid[(d)→(ii)]\begin{aligned} \textit{Aspergillus niger} &\longrightarrow \textbf{Citric Acid} \quad [\text{(a)} \to \text{(iii)}] \\ \textit{Acetobacter aceti} &\longrightarrow \textbf{Acetic Acid} \quad [\text{(b)} \to \text{(i)}] \\ \textit{Clostridium butylicum} &\longrightarrow \textbf{Butyric Acid} \quad [\text{(c)} \to \text{(iv)}] \\ \textit{Lactobacillus} &\longrightarrow \textbf{Lactic Acid} \quad [\text{(d)} \to \text{(ii)}] \end{aligned}
Step 2

Option Alignment

The combined match is (a)-(iii), (b)-(i), (c)-(iv), (d)-(ii). This corresponds precisely to Option (1).

⭐

360° Option Elimination Engine Key Feature

Diagnose every choice: Know exactly why the right option works and why distractors fail.

4-Option Deep Scan
1 1
✓ 100% Correct
Verdict & Scientific Reason:

Correct. Perfectly aligns every microbe with its corresponding organic acid product.

💡
Why this is airtight: None. Candidate recognizes the classical microbial fermentation pairs.
2 2
✗ Incorrect
Verdict & Scientific Reason:

Incorrect. Assigns acetic acid to Aspergillus niger and lactic acid to Acetobacter aceti.

⚠️
Student Fallacy (Why candidates pick this trap): Reading list entries sequentially without matching.
3 3
✗ Incorrect
Verdict & Scientific Reason:

Incorrect. Misattributes lactic acid to Aspergillus and citric acid to Acetobacter.

⚠️
Student Fallacy (Why candidates pick this trap): Confusing fungal citric acid production with bacterial lactic fermentation.
4 4
✗ Incorrect
Verdict & Scientific Reason:

Incorrect. Links Aspergillus niger to butyric acid.

⚠️
Student Fallacy (Why candidates pick this trap): Complete confusion of microbial taxonomy.
⚠️

NTA Trap Alert: Fungus vs Bacterium Identity Trap

Aspergillus niger is the sole fungus in this list, producing citric acid. Candidates sometimes confuse Aspergillus with bacteria and match it with butyric acid.

🛡️ How to avoid the -1 mark: Remember: Aspergillus niger = Citric acid fungus; the other three are bacteria with names reflecting their products (aceti = acetic, butylicum = butyric, lacto = lactic).
📖

Core NEET Syllabus Standard

NEET / NCERT Biology · Microbes in Human Welfare Standard Benchmark
Core Scientific Principle Tested:

"Aspergillus niger produces citric acid; Acetobacter aceti produces acetic acid; Clostridium butylicum produces butyric acid; Lactobacillus produces lactic acid."

Syllabus Focus: Chemicals, Enzymes and other Bioactive Molecules
✓ Core NEET UG Syllabus Anchor Syllabus & Academic Standards ↗

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