Biotechnology and its Applications MCQs

A. Hybrid protoplasts result from the fusion of isolated naked protoplasts from two different varieties.
B. Somatic hybridisation is the process resulting in somatic hybrids like pomato.
C. Meristem culture, utilizing the virus-free meristem, is used to obtain healthy plants.
D. An explant is defined as any part of a plant taken out and grown in a test tube.

A. The source of complementary RNA can be viruses having RNA genomes or mobile genetic elements (transposons).
B. dsRNA is formed when introduced sense and anti-sense RNA strands bind, as they are complementary.
C. The dsRNA initiates RNAi, silencing the specific mRNA by preventing its translation.
D. RNAi takes place in all eukaryotic organisms as a method of cellular defense.

A. Catalyst provision means providing the best catalyst in the form of an improved organism or pure enzyme.
B. Engineering conditions involves creating optimal conditions for the catalyst to act.
C. Downstream processing is necessary to purify the product (protein/organic compound).
D. Biotechnology essentially deals with industrial scale production of biopharmaceuticals and biologicals.

A. Insulin is synthesized as a pro-hormone that needs processing to become functional.
B. The C peptide is the extra stretch present in pro-insulin that is removed.
C. Mature insulin chains A and B are linked by disulphide bridges.
D. Insulin extracted from animal sources sometimes caused allergic reactions due to foreign protein.

A. PCR amplifies nucleic acid to detect very low concentrations of pathogens.
B. ELISA detects antigens or antibodies synthesized against the pathogen.
C. In mutated gene detection using a probe, the lack of complementarity prevents hybridisation.
D. Early diagnosis is achieved using Recombinant DNA technology, PCR, and ELISA.

A. Transgenic animals for toxicity testing carry genes making them more sensitive to toxins.
B. Transgenic mice are being developed for use in testing the safety of the polio vaccine.
C. Increased sensitivity allows researchers to obtain results in less time during chemical safety testing.
D. Transgenic mice could replace the use of monkeys for testing vaccine safety.

A. The Indian Parliament recently cleared the second amendment of the Indian Patents Bill.
B. The Basmati patent extended to functional equivalents, implying restriction on other sellers.
C. Turmeric and neem are examples of traditional herbal medicines targeted for patent attempts.
D. Biopiracy is the use of bio-resources without proper authorization or compensatory payment.

A. Abiotic stress tolerance makes crops tolerant to environmental factors like cold, drought, and heat.
B. Pest-resistant crops reduce the need for chemical pesticides.
C. Nutritional enhancement is exemplified by golden rice, which is Vitamin A enriched.
D. Tailor-made plants supply alternative resources to industries, such as starches and pharmaceuticals.

A. Agro-chemicals are often too expensive for farmers in the developing world.
B. Organic agriculture is one of the three considered options for increasing food production.
C. Use of genetically modified crops is a possible solution to reduce the harmful effects of chemicals.
D. The Green Revolution succeeded in tripling the food supply.

A. Micro-propagation produces thousands of genetically identical plants (somaclones).
B. Virus-free plants are obtained by culturing the meristems of plants like banana, sugarcane, and potato.
C. Pomato resulted from somatic hybridisation but lacked the necessary characteristics for commercial utilisation.
D. Totipotency is the capacity to generate a whole plant from any cell or explant.