The term ‘ACE2’ is talked about in the context of
Answer & explanation
Answer: (d) spread of viral diseases
ACE2, short for angiotensin-converting enzyme 2, sits on the outer surface of human cells, and the spike of SARS-CoV-2 (the virus behind COVID-19) latches onto it to get inside. So it was discussed in the context of how a viral disease spreads.
- ✓ (d) The spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 binds to ACE2 on host cells, which lets the virus enter them. The earlier SARS coronavirus used the same receptor.
- ✗ (a) ACE2 is a human protein, not a gene introduced into genetically modified plants.
- ✗ (b) India's own satellite navigation system is NavIC; ACE2 has nothing to do with navigation or radio collars.
Remember · ACE2 is the human cell-surface receptor that SARS-CoV-2 (and SARS-CoV) binds to for entry into cells.
Sources
- Hoffmann et al., SARS-CoV-2 Cell Entry Depends on ACE2 and TMPRSS2, Cell (2020), PubMed Central (US National Library of Medicine) ↗ “we demonstrate that SARS-CoV-2 uses the SARS-CoV receptor ACE2 for entry and the serine protease TMPRSS2 for S protein priming.”
Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2021, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). ·