4 Biotechnology and its Applications1
CBSE Term II Biology XII
Multiple Choice Questions
1. (a) The decisions regarding the validity of GMOs research and
the safety of introducing GMOs and their product for public
services in India are taken by Genetic Engineering Approval
Committee or GEAC.
2. (c) Gene silencing could be achieved through various routes
including the use of RNAi, antisense RNA, ribozymes, etc. All
these enzymes interrupt or suppress the expression of genes at
transcriptional or translational level.
3. (a) The first human hormone produced by recombinant DNA
technology is insulin. The first genetically engineered, synthetic
human insulin was produced in 1978 using E. coli bacteria to
produce insulin.
4. (b) Statements I and III are correct.
Bt toxin has been cloned from the bacteria, Bacillus thuringiensis
and its strains are used in producing bioinsecticidal plants which
kill the insects like lepidopterans, etc.
Statement II is incorrect and can be corrected as
Genetic engineering works on both plants and animals
successfully for producing transgenic plants like Bt cotton and
transgenic animals like Rosie cow.
5. (a) The first transgenic cow, Rosie produced human protein
enriched milk (2.4g/L) in 1997.
The milk contained human alpha lactalbumin and was
nutritionally more balanced for human babies.
6. (d) Biopiracy is the illegal use of certain products which have
their origin in some other area
Traditional knowledge related to bioresources can be exploited
to develop modern applications and can save time, efforts and
expenditure during commercialisation.
Biopiracy can be done on bioresources and the biomolecules
related to it and also on some research work going on in some
other parts of the world.
Thus, option (d) is correct.
Assertion-Reasoning MCQs
1. (b) Both A and R are true, but R is not the correct explanation of
A.
Transgenic plants can be produced using recombinant DNA
technology and it has proved to be useful in many ways, e.g. the
transgenic plants have high nutritional value of food, e.g. Golden
rice.
An organism that contains and expresses a transgene is called
transgenic organism.
2. (b) Both A and R are true, but R is not the correct explanation of
A.
Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), a soil bacterium produces a Cry
protein (crystal protein) as this protein is toxic to the larvae of
certain insects. There are several kinds of Cry proteins. Each
Cry protein is toxic to a different group of insects. The gene
encoding Cry protein that is cry gene, has been isolated and
transferred into several crops, making the crops resistant to
groups of insects.
Each Cry protein is toxic to a different group of insects.
3. (b) Both A and R are true, but R is not the correct
explanation of A.
The ADA gene provides instructions for producing the
enzyme, adenosine deaminase.
This enzyme is produced in all cells throughout the
body, but its highest level occur in lymphocytes, which
defend the body against potentially harmful invaders,
such as viruses or bacteria.
Short Answer Type Questions
1. (i) Bacillus thuringiensis produces a protein that kills
certain insects such as dipterans (flies, mosquitoes),
coleopterans (beetles) and lepidopterans (tobacco,
budworm, armyworm).
(ii) The activated Bt toxin binds to the surface of
midgut epithelial cells and creates pores which
cause cell swelling and lysis, leading to death of the
insect.
(iii) Bt toxin has been used in plants like cotton, rice,
tomato, potato, etc., and respective varieties have
been obtained.
2. Recombinant insulin is one of the first products of
biotechnology with the following advantages
(i) It has led to sufficient availability of insulin for the
management of adult onset diabetes.
(ii) Recombinant insulin has a superior level of purity
and is not allergic in nature.
3. Adenosine Deaminase (ADA) deficiency is an inherited
disorder that damages the immune system and causes
Severe Combined Immuno Deficiency (SCID).
Gene therapy has been a successful and permanent cure
for this ailment.
Steps followed in enzymes replacement gene therapy
includes
(i) First the, lymphocytes from the blood of the patient
are grown in a culture outside the body.
(ii) A functional ADA cDNA (using a retroviral vector)
is then introduced into these lymphocytes which
are subsequently returned to the patient.
(iii) As these cells are not immortal, the patient requires
periodic infusion of such genetically engineered
lymphocytes. If the gene isolated from marrow cells
producing ADA is introduced into cells at early
embryonic stages, it could be a permanent cure.
Some other diseases like haemophilia, cystic fibrosis,
etc., can also be cured by this.
4. Advantages of a transgenic cow are
(i) They can be used as biofactories to synthesise
human therapeutic proteins.
(ii) The milk produced by a transgenic cow is
nutritionally more stable and healthy for babies.
(iii) A transgenic cow is able to produce a large amount
of milk protein (therapeutic protein). When
compared with a normal cow.
 2 CBSE Term II Biology XII
5. Biopiracy refers to the use of bioresources by multinational
companies and other organisations without proper
authorisation from the countries and the people concerned
without compensatory payment.
The majority of industrialised nations are financially rich but
poor in diversity and traditional knowledge. When compared
with developing countries. For example, an American
company, Rice Tec won a patent on Basmati Rice Lines and
Grains in 1997 through the US Patent and Trademark Office,
and was allowed to sell a new variety in US and abroad. The
new variety of rice was actually derived from the Indian
farmers’ variety. The Indian Basmati crossed with semi-dwarf
varieties, was claimed as an invention by the American
company. But originally rice is being used since thousands of
years in Asia’s agricultural history and alone in India 2,00,000
varieties are present out which 27 varieties are of Basmati is
cultivated in India.
Long Answer Type Questions
1. Animals that have had their DNA manipulated to possess and
express an extra (foreign) gene are known as transgenic
animals, e.g. transgenic rats, rabbits, pigs, sheep, cows and
fishes.
Transgenic animals have been widely used in areas because
of their transforming benefits like
(i) Normal physiology and development Transgenic
animals can be specifically designed to allow the study
of how genes are regulated and how they affect the
normal functioning of the body and its development. For
example, the study of complex factors involved in
growth such as insulin like growth factors.
(ii) Transgenic animals are made to carry the genes, which
make them more sensitive to toxic substances than the
non-transgenic animals. They are then exposed to toxic
substances and effects are studied. This allows us to
obtain results in less time.
(iii) Study of disease Many transgenic animals are
designed to increase the understanding of how genes
contribute to the development of disease such as
cancer, cystic fibrosis, rheumatoid arthritis and
Alzheimer’s. These are specially made to serve as
models for human disease, so that investigation of new
treatments for diseases is made possible.
2. The recombinant DNA technological processes have made
immense impact in the area of healthcare by enabling mass
production of safe and more effective therapeutic drugs.
Some therapeutical applications related to biotechnology
are
(i) Genetically engineered insulin which has lead to
sufficient availability of insulin for the management of
adult onset diabetes and also does not involve allergic
reactions.
(ii) Recombinant vaccine The vaccines produced through
genetic engineering methods are called recombinant
vaccines or ‘second generation vaccines’. They have
gene inserts for the surface proteins of a pathogen that
elicit immunity but do not result in infection.
Examples of such vaccines include recombinant
hepatitis-B vaccine and polio vaccine.
(iii) Gene therapy It is a collection of methods which
allows correction of a genetic defect that has been
diagnosed in a child or embryo. The defective mutant
alleles of the gene are replaced by the normal gene
insertion to take over the functions of and compensate
for the non-functional gene.