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Q1. RuBisCO acts on

• CO₂
• O₂
• Both CO_2­ and O₂
• Neither CO­₂ nor O_2­

Solution

RuBisCO or ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate can act on both carbon dioxide and oxygen.

Q2. Name the drug used in cancer treatment produced by using biotechnology.

• Terramycin
• HGH
• Insulin
• Interferon

Solution

Interferons are a class of antiviral proteins that function as immune regulators or lymphokines produced by the infected cells in response to viral infections. Interferons have been produced on a large scale by recombinant DNA technology. IFN- is used for the treatment of hepatitis-B. Interferons are also tested for the treatment of cancer and other viral diseases, including AIDS.

Q3. The hybridoma technique was developed by

• Louis Pasteur
• Edward Jenner
• Kohler and Milstein
• Burnet

Solution

Hybridoma technology is a technique of forming hybrid cell lines (hybridomas) by fusing a specific antibody producing B cell with a myeloma (cancerous B cell) cell that is selected for its ability to grow in tissue culture and for the absence of antibody chain synthesis. It was introduced by Georges Kohler and Cesar Milstein in 1970. Louis Pasteur discovered the principles of vaccination, microbial fermentation and pasteurization. Edward Jenner discovered the vaccine for smallpox. John Burnet was a classicist and is known for his work on philosophy.

Q4. The Neem Campaign was led by

• Vandana Shiva
• Shiva Bhosle
• Durga Mehta
• Kiran Mittal

Solution

The Neem Campaign by Vandana Shiva led to the cancellation of a European patent to a transnational corporation for pesticide from neem. 

Q5. Which Indian variety of rice was patented by an American company?

• Komal
• Basmati
• Tukda
• Clearfield

Solution

The American rice company Rice Tec. Inc. patented Basmati rice, which is an Indian variety of rice.

Q6. A technology which has found immense use in solving cases of disputed parentage is

• Polymerase chain reaction
• DNA finger printing
• Monoclonal antibody production
• Recombinant DNA technology

Solution

DNA fingerprinting is a technique employed to assist in the identification of individuals by their respective DNA profiles. It is used in parental testing and criminal investigation.  

Q7. Hybridoma technology has been successfully used in

• Production of somatic hybrids
• Synthesis of monoclonal antibodies
• Synthesis of haemoglobin
• Production of alcohol in bulk

Solution

Hybridoma technology is a technique of forming hybrid cell lines (hybridomas) by fusing a specific antibody producing B cell with a myeloma (cancerous B cell) cell that is selected for its ability to grow in tissue culture and for the absence of antibody chain synthesis. The antibodies produced by the hybridoma are all of a single specificity and are therefore referred to as monoclonal antibodies.

Q8. Oral contraceptives contain

• Oestrogen
• Progesterone
• Oestrogen and progesterone
• Prostaglandins

Solution

Oral contraceptives contain both oestrogen and progesterone.

Q9. cDNA stands for

• Constructed DNA
• Complementary DNA
• Constricted DNA
• Circular DNA

Solution

cDNA means complementary DNA. It is a double-stranded DNA molecule synthesised from an RNA molecule.

Q10. What is true about Bt toxin?

• Bt toxin exists as an active toxin in Bacillus.
• The activated toxin enters the ovaries of the pest to sterilise it, and thereby, prevent its multiplication.
• The concerned Bacillus has antitoxins.
• The inactive prototoxin gets converted into active form in the insect gut.

Solution

The soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis produces a crystal protein called Cry protein that kills certain insect larvae such as tobacco budworm, beetles and flies. Bt toxin protein exists as inactive protoxin, but once an insect ingest this inactive toxin, it is converted into the active form of toxin due to the alkaline pH of the gut which solubilises the crystal. This causes swelling and lysis of epithelial cells of midgut leading to death of the insect larvae.

Q11. Flavr Savr is genetically modified

• Tomato
• Potato
• Banana
• Rice

Solution

Flavr Savr is genetically modified tomato, which is modified to produce less amounts of polygalacturonase, a cell wall-degrading enzyme. This increases the shelf life of the fruit.

Q12. The only commercially grown genetically modified crop in India is

• Cotton
• Wheat
• Rice
• Barley

Solution

The only commercially grown genetically modified crop in India is cotton.

Q13. Insect resistance transgenic cotton has been produced by inserting a piece of DNA from

• An insect
• A bacterium
• A wild relative of cotton
• A virus

Solution

The gene (cry gene) responsible for the production of toxin (Bt toxin) has been isolated from Bacillus thuringiensis and introduced into a new number of crop plants using Agrobacterium Ti plasmid mediated transformation. The new genetically modified Bt cotton is resistant to the bollworm complex.

Q14. The first clinical gene therapy was done for the treatment of

• AIDS
• Cancer
• Cystic fibrosis
• SCID (Severe Combined Immuno Deficiency resulting from deficiency of ADA)

Solution

Treatment of a genetic disorder by manipulating genes is called gene therapy. The first clinical gene therapy was done for the treatment of SCID. The SCID patient has a defective gene for the enzyme adenosine deaminase (ADA). The patient lacks functional lymphocytes and therefore, fails to fight the infecting pathogens. Lymphocytes are extracted from the patient’s bone marrow and a normal functional copy of human gene coding for ADA is introduced into these lymphocytes with the help of retrovirus. The cells so treated are reintroduced into the patient’s bone marrow. The lymphocytes produced by these cells contain functional ADA gene, and reactivate the patient’s immune system permanently.

Q15. Transgenic plants are the ones

• Generated by introducing foreign DNA into a cell and regenerating a plant from the cell
• Produced after protoplast fusion in artificial medium
• Grown in artificial medium after hybridization in the field
• Produced by a somatic embryo in artificial medium

Solution

Transgenic plants are the plants that carry a foreign gene of desired function from other organism. A single cell in most plant species can regenerate a whole plant. Transgenic crop plants have many beneficial traits like insect- resistance, herbicide tolerance, delayed fruit ripening, improved oil quality, weed control etc.  

Q16. Which of the following is used in the treatment of certain kinds of cancer?

• Interferon
• Interleukin
• Tumour necrosis factor
• All of the above

Solution

In certain kinds of cancer, interferons, interleukins and tumour necrosis factor are used.

Q17. The term ‘Humulin’ is used for

• Human insulin
• Isoenzyme
• Hydrolytic enzyme
• Antibiotic

Solution

The genetically engineered E. coli that could make human insulin was developed by a company called Genetech in 1978. This technique was purchased by another American company Eli Lilly in September in 1982. On July 5 1983, Eli Lilly launched the first genetically engineered human insulin by the name Humulin. 

Q18. Insect control proteins are extracted from which of the following organisms?

• Trichoderma
• Pseudomonas
• Bacillus thuringiensis
• Penicillium

Solution

Bacillus thuringiensis produces certain proteins which when ingested by insects kills them. Hence, Bacillus thuringiensis is usedto produce endotoxins against insects. 

Q19. A transgenic food crop which may help in solving the problem of night blindness in developing countries is

• Bt soybean
• Golden rice
• Flavrsavr tomatoes
• Starlink maize

Solution

Golden rice was developed at Swiss Federal Institute of Technology. It is rich in Vitamin A. The rice grains are golden yellow in colour and contain beta carotene from daffodil plant and the genes from some bacteria. Consumption of golden rice may reduce the risk of night blindness caused due to the deficiency of vitamin A among children. Bt soybean confers insect and pest resistance of soybean crops. Flavrsavr tomatoes show delayed ripening and prevent rotting and spoilage of tomatoes caused during shipping and transportation. Starlink maize possesses Cry protein that offers resistance to the attack of caterpillars.

Q20. Which of the following is an advantage of transgenesis?

• Study of diseases and gene therapy
• Increased production of biological products
• Vaccine safety testing
• All of the above

Solution

Significance of transgenesis: 1. Molecular farming 2. Study of diseases and gene therapy 3. Increased production of biological products 4. Study of normal physiology and development 5. Vaccine safety testing 6. Chemical safety testing

Q21. Match list I with list II and select the correct option   List I List II (a) Bacillus thuringiensis 1. Production of chitinases (b) Rhizobium meliloti 2. Scavenging of oil spills (c) Escherichia coli 3. Incorporation of ‘nif’ gene (d) Pseudomonas putida 4. Production of Bt toxin (e) Trichoderma 5. Production of human insulin  

• a-2, b-4, c-1, d-5, e-3
• a-2, b-4, c-5, a-1, e-3
• a-4, b-3, c-5, d-2, e-1
• a-3, b-4, c-5, d-1, e-2

Solution

Bacillus thuringiensis carries Cry protein (Bt toxin) gene which confers insect and pest resistance to the plants. Bacterium Rhizobium meliloti is used as a biofertiliser. The incorporated nif gene allows efficient nitrogen fixation in plants. The gene responsible for the production of human insulin has been inserted into the DNA chain of a Escherichia coli vector. Pseudomonas putida has been used in bioremediation of heavy metals in oil spills. Fungus Trichoderma produces chitinases that are used for the control of fungal diseases.

Q22. Injecting cows with bovine growth hormone causes

• Increased milk production
• Increased beef output
• Increased milk and beef output
• Increased milk and decreased beef output

Solution

Injecting cows with bovine growth hormone obtained from genetically engineered E. coli raises the milk and beef output in the cows.

Q23. Insulin is made of two chains—chain A and chain B. Chain A is made of how many amino acids?

• 10
• 11
• 20
• 21

Solution

Insulin is made of two chains—chain A and chain B. Chain A comprises 21 amino acids and chain B comprises 30 amino acids.

Q24. Which of the following is not applicable for a biopatent?

• Discovery of cell lines
• Formation of new products
• Using the existing technology to produce new products
• Unearthing the DNA sequences

Solution

Biopatents are being granted by the Government for biological entities and products derived from them. Biopatents are given for the discovery of new strains of microorganisms, transgenic plants and animals, discovery of cell lines, new biotechnological methods, unearthing the DNA sequences, proteins formed by various DNA sequences, formation of new products, new production techniques and product applications. Biopatents cannot be granted for using the existing technology to produce new products.

Q25. Transplantation of organs from an organism of one species to an organism of another species is known as

• Xenotransplantation
• Exotransplantation
• Protransplantation
• Endotransplantation

Solution

Transplantation of organs from an organism of one species to an organism of another species is known as xenotransplantation.

Q26. In the process of blood clotting, TPA stands for

• Tissue Protection Agent
• Tissue Plasminogen Activator
• Tissue Platelet Activator
• Tissue Protein Anchor

Solution

TPA stands for Tissue Plasminogen Activator, which helps in the breakdown of blood clots.

Q27. In India, GEAC is an organisation which was set up by the government to regulate biotechnological activities and to keep the activities under ethical limits. This organisation was set up by which ministry of the government?

• Health Ministry
• Ministry of Environment and Forests
• Education Ministry
• Ministry of Defence

Solution

GEAC (Genetic Engineering Approval Committee) was set up by the Ministry of Environment and Forests to regulate the research, testing and commercial release of genetically modified crops, food and organisms.

Q28. The primary steroid which gives rise to male and female sex hormones is

• Cholesterol
• Estradiol
• Cholic acid
• Dexamethasone

Solution

Cholesterol is a primary steroid from which male and female sex hormones are derived.

Q29. Cultivation of Bt cotton has been much in the news. The prefix Bt means

• "Barium treated" cotton seeds
• "Bigger thread" variety of cotton with better tensile strength
• Produced by "biotechnology" using restriction enzymes and ligases
• Carrying an endotoxin gene from Bacillus thuringiensis

Solution

The endotoxin gene (cry gene) responsible for the production of toxin (Bt toxin) has been isolated from Bacillus thuringiensis and introduced into a new number of crop plants using Agrobacterium Ti plasmid mediated transformation. The new genetically modified Bt cotton is resistant to the bollworm complex.

Q30. In India, it is common knowledge that _____ is used for the control of diabetes.

• Karela
• Jamun
• Bengan
• All of the above