Asthma may be attributed to:
Answer: (B) Allergic reaction of the mast cells in the lungs. Answer: (B) Allergic reaction of the mast cells in the lungs Solution: Asthma is an allergic/hypersensitivity condition.
- A.Bacterial infection of the lungs
- B.Allergic reaction of the mast cells in the lungs✓
- C.Inflammation of the trachea
- D.Accumulation of fluid in the lung
Correct Answer
(B) Allergic reaction of the mast cells in the lungs
Solution & Explanation
Answer: (B) Allergic reaction of the mast cells in the lungs Solution: Asthma is an allergic/hypersensitivity condition. NCERT states that allergy is due to the release of chemicals like histamine and serotonin from the mast cells, and that more and more children in metro cities suffer from allergies and asthma due to sensitivity to the environment. The exaggerated immune response to environmental allergens (with IgE antibodies) acting on mast cells in the airways causes the wheezing/breathing difficulty of asthma. Why not the others: It is not a bacterial infection of the lungs (that would be pneumonia), nor inflammation of the trachea, nor fluid accumulation (which describes pneumonia where alveoli fill with fluid). NCERT Reference: NCERT Ch7, p.137, lines 16, 22-23: "Allergy is due to the release of chemicals like histamine and serotonin from the mast cells"