Question

Given below are two statements: Statement (I): Shellac is a resin secreted by the female Laccifer lacca on trees in the forests. Statement (II): Shellac is made up of gum Arabic and other natural waxes. In light of the above statements, choose the most appropriate answer from the options given below.

• A. Both Statement (I) and Statement (II) are correct.
• B. Both Statement (I) and Statement (II) are incorrect.
• C. Statement (I) is correct but Statement (II) is incorrect.
• D. Statement (I) is incorrect but Statement (II) is correct.

Hint:

Remember that shellac is a animal-derived polyester resin produced by the lac insect. It is not a plant-derived gum or a simple wax mixture.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
Lac is a natural commercial resin of animal origin.
It is secreted by the lac insect, Laccifer lacca, to form a protective chamber around its body.
Once harvested and refined, this resin is processed into various commercial forms, including button lac, sheet lac, and shellac.

Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
Let us analyze both statements:
Statement (I):
The immature crawlers of the lac insect settle on the tender twigs of host trees.
After settling, they begin feeding on the tree sap and secrete a resinous substance from specialized glands over their bodies.
As the insects grow, the secreted resin fuses together to form a continuous encrustation over the twigs.
The female insects produce the vast majority of this resin.
This harvested raw material (known as sticklac) is washed, purified, and refined into shellac.
Thus, Statement I is correct.
Statement (II):
This statement claims that shellac is made up of gum Arabic and natural waxes.
This is incorrect.
Shellac is a natural polyester resin composed mainly of hydroxy fatty acids (such as aleuritic acid and butolic acid) and sesquiterpene acid esters.
It does not contain gum Arabic, which is a water-soluble polysaccharide harvested from acacia trees (Acacia senegal).
While raw lac contains small amounts of natural lac wax (about 5-6%), the refined resin itself is a distinct biological product, not a mixture of gum Arabic and wax.
Thus, Statement II is incorrect.

Step 3: Final Answer:
Statement I is correct, and Statement II is incorrect.
This corresponds to Option 3.