Q 01/05

Cotton fibre is almost pure what?

A) Lignin

B) Protein

C) Cellulose

D) Keratin

Answer · why

C) Cellulose

Cellulose makes up the great bulk of raw cotton fibre, and nearly all of it once the fibre is scoured, leaving only traces of waxes, pectins, proteins...

Q 02/05

What is the protective case in which cotton fibre grows around the seeds called?

A) A pod

B) A boll

C) A husk

D) A bract

Answer · why

B) A boll

A boll is the rounded case that splits open at maturity to expose the fluffy fibre, which in the wild helps the seeds disperse on wind and water.

Q 03/05

The cotton genus Gossypium belongs to which group of plants, alongside hibiscus and okra?

A) The mallows

B) The legumes

C) The nettles

D) The grasses

Answer · why

A) The mallows

The mallows, family Malvaceae, include cotton along with hibiscus, okra and cacao; the greatest diversity of wild cotton species is found in Mexico, t...

Q 04/05

The word 'cotton' comes from which language's word 'qutn'?

A) Persian

B) Sanskrit

C) Arabic

D) Greek

Answer · why

C) Arabic

That in turn derives, ironically, from a Hebrew word for a garment made of linen.

Q 05/05

From which city does the name of the fine cotton cloth muslin derive?

A) Damascus

B) Mosul

C) Basra

D) Aleppo

Answer · why

B) Mosul

Mosul, on the Tigris in present-day Iraq, gave muslin its name through the Italian mussolina; European traders associated the fine cotton cloth with t...