Question

Lac is a product of
(a)Fecal matter
(b)Secretion from body
(c)Excretion from body
(d)Excess food oozing out of body

Answer 1

Hint: Lac is majorly obtained from the Kerria lacca insect. It is generally produced by the female lac insect for its protection.

Complete answer:
The resinous secretion of lac insects is called lac. Lac is a biodegradable, non-toxic, natural, and highly safe resin that is extensively used in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industry.
The above image represents the lac formation in the wood of a tree.
Cultivation of lac starts when the farmer gets a stick that has eggs and is ready to hatch. He ties the lac to the tree which has to be infested. Nearly thousands of lac insects will colonize the host tree’s branches and will secrete the resin. These coated host tree’s branches are cut and are harvested as sticklac.
The sticklac will be crushed and sieved to strip off various impurities. The sieved material will be washed repeatedly to remove body parts of the insect and other material. The resultant product is called seedlac. Seedlac will contain nearly 3 to 5% impurity and is later processed into shellac by heat treatment or by solvent extraction method.
The shellac has various uses. It is used in wood finish, dye for silk and wool and it is used in cosmetics. In the food industry, it is used to give color to carbonated drinks, wine, jam, sauce, and candy.

So, the correct answer is ‘Secretion from the body’.

Note: India is the leading lac producer globally. Reports state that the US has the largest demand of nearly 6000 tons of lac annually. The demand for organic substances in Western countries along with the declining lac cultivation results in the high cost of the lac. The scientists say that the lac can turn around the present situation of the farmers.