BIOTECHNOLOGY APPLICAT.

INTRODUCTION:
1. Applications, like bioremediation, processed food, therapeutics and diagnostics are related
with
a) Biochemistry b) Microbiology c) Biotechnology d) Medical science

2. Biotechnology mainly deals with

a) Industrial scale production of biopharmaceutical

b) Biological use of genetically modified microbes, fungi, plants and animals

c) Both (a) and (b)

d) None of the above

3. The critical research areas of biotechnology are

I. providing best catalyst as improved organism, usually a microbes or pure enzyme
II. creating optimal conditions by engineering for a catalyst to act
III. down stream processing technologies
IV. Multiple Ovulation Transfer Technology (MOET)
Which of the statements given above the correct?
a) I and II b) I, II and III c) II, III and IV d) I, II, III and IV

BIOTECHNOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS IN AGRICULTURE

4. Important objectives of biotechnology in agriculture section are

a) To produce pest resistant varieties of b) To increase the nitrogen content

plants
c) To decrease the seed number d) To increase the plant weight

5. Insect resistant transgenic cotton has been produced by inserting a piece of DNA from

a) An insect b) A bacterium

c) A wild relative of cotton d) A virus

6. Which one of the following bacteria has found extensive use in genetic engineering work in
plants?
a) Bacillus coagulans b) Xanthomonas citri

c) Clostridium septicum d) Agrobacterium tumefaciens

7. 𝐵𝑡 toxin protein crystals present in bacterium 𝐵𝑎𝑐𝑖𝑙𝑙𝑢𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑢𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑠, do not kill the
bacteria themselves because
a) Bacteria are resistant to the toxin b) Bacteria enclose toxins in a special sac

c) Toxins occur an inactive protoxins in d) None of the above

bacteria
8. The crops having 𝑐𝑟𝑦 genes needs

a) No insecticide b) Small amount of insecticide

c) Large amount of insecticide d) None of the above

9. 𝐵𝑎𝑐𝑖𝑙𝑙𝑢𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑢𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑠 is a bacterium of

a) Dirty water b) Skin of cat c) Soil d) Surface of midgut

10. Which of the following genes were introduced in cotton to protect it from cotton
bollworms?
a) Cry Ac and cry Ab

b) Bt Ac and Bt Ab

c) Cry I Ac and cry II Ab

d) Nif genes

11. The vector for T-DNA is

a) Thermos aquaticus b) Salmonella typhimurium

c) Agrobacterium tumefaciens d) Escherichia coli

12. The RNAi stands for

a) RNA interference b) RNA interferon c) RNA inactivation d) RNA initiation

13. Green revolution is related to the increase in production of

a) Better irrigation, fertilizers and pesticides facilities

b) Exploitation of high yielding varieties

c) Intensive cultivation

d) All of the above

14. Which of the following ways are suitable for increasing food production?
I. Agrochemical based agriculture
II. Organic agriculture
III. Genetically engineered crop-based agriculture
Choose the correct option
a) I and II b) I and III c) II and III d) I, II and III
15. Transgenic crops are modified through genetic engineering to develop natural resistance to
insect pests. Which one is a transgenic plant?
a) Tobacco and cotton b) Tomato and rice c) Maize and d) Tomato and wheat
sugarcane
16. Consumption of which one of the following foods can prevent the kind of blindness
associated with vitamin-A deficiency?
a) Flavr savr tomato b) Canolla c) Golden rice d) Bt brinjal

17. Genetically modified plants have been useful in increasing

a) Crop yield b) Nutritional value of food

c) Tolerance against abiotic stresses d) All of the above

18. 𝐵𝑎𝑐𝑖𝑙𝑙𝑢𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑢𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑠 is used to control

a) Insect pests b) Bacterial pathogen c) Fungal pathogen d) Nematodes

BIOTECHNOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS IN MEDICINE

19. An example of gene therapy is

a) Production of injectible hepatitis-A vaccine b) Introduction of the genes for adenosine

deaminase in a person suffering from SCID
c) Production of test-tube babies by artificial d) All of the above
insemination
20. Which of these is used as vector in gene therapy for SCID?

a) Arbovirus b) Rotavirus c) Enterovirus d) Retrovirus

21. In which of the following method, a probe is allowed to hybridise to its complementary DNA
in the clone of cells?
a) Gene therapy b) Recombinant DNA technology

c) Polymerase chain reaction d) Enzyme Linked Immuno-Sorbent Assay

(ELISA)
22. Which of the following companies started selling humulin in 1983?

a) Baxter international b) Eli Lilly c) Roche d) Bayer healthcare

23. Which step was proved to be the main challenge in the production of human insulin by
recombinant DNA technology?
a) Splitting A and B-peptide chain b) Addition of C-peptide to proinsulin

c) Getting insulin assembled into mature d) Removal of C-peptide from active insulin
form
24. Maximum application of animal cell culture technology today is in the production of

a) Vaccines b) Edible proteins c) Insulin d) Interferons

25. Consider the following statements about therapeutic drugs
I. The recombinant DNA technology is used for production of therapeutic drugs which are
safe and effective
II. It avoid unwanted immunological responses, commonly observed with similar products
isolated from non-human sources
III. About thirty recombinant therapeutics have been approved for human use in the world
including India
Which of the statements given above are correct?
a) I and II b) I and III c) II and III d) I, II and III

26. Which of the following is/are correct about Adenosine Deaminase (ADA) deficiency?
I. In the absence of adenosine deaminase enzyme, purine metabolism is disturbed and T-
lymphocytes fails to function
II. ADA deficiency is caused by the deletion of the gene for ADA
III. In some cases, it can be cured by bone marrow transplantation and enzyme replacement
therapy. But in both approaches, the patients are not completely cured
IV. For permanent cure, genes isolated from the bone marrow cells producing ADA at early
embryonic stages can be a possible cure
Which of the above statements are correct?
a) I, II and III b) II, III and IV c) I, III and IV d) I, II, III and IV

TRANSGENIC ANIMALS

27. Transgenic animals are produced for which of the following purposes?
I. To study the normal physiology and development
II. To study diseases
III. To obtain useful biological products
IV. To test the vaccine safety
V. To test the chemical safety
Which of the above statements are correct?
a) I, II and III b) II, III and IV c) I, II, III and V d) I, II, III, IV and V

28. Transgenic animals are those which have foreign

a) DNA in some of its cells b) DNA in all its cells

c) RNA in all of its cells d) RNA in some of its cells

29. Genetic engineering has been successfully used for producing

a) Transgenic mice for testing safety of polio vaccine before use in humans

b) Transgenic models for studying new treatments for certain cardiac diseases

c) Transgenic cow-Rosie, which produces high fat milk for making ghee

d) Animals like bulls for farm work as they have super power
ETHICAL ISSUES

30. Which step has been taken by Government of India to cater to the requirements of patent
terms and other emergency provisions in this regards
a) Biopiracy act b) Indian patents bill c) Biowar act d) Bioethics act

31. Basmati is unique for its aroma and flavour, whose A… varieties are cultivated in B….
Here A and B refers to
a) A-27; B-America b) A-30; B-America c) A-27; B-India d) A-30; B-India

32. Consider the following statements about the responsibility of GEAC (set-up by the Indian
Government)
I. GEAC make decisions regarding the validity of the GM research
II. It checks the safety of introducing GM organisms for the public services for their large
scale use
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
a) Only I b) Only II c) I and II d) None of these

33. GEAC stands for

a) Genetic and Biotechnique Approval b) Gene Environment Action Committee

Committee
c) Genetic Engineering Approval d) Genome Engineering Action Committee
Committee
34. How many varieties of rice has been estimated to be present in India?

a) 2200 b) 20000 c) 200000 d) 2000000

35. Use of biological resources of other countries without any legal authorization of the
countries concerned is called
a) Biopatent b) Biopiracy c) Bioethics d) All of these
36. Which one of the following is a correct statement?

a) ‘Bt’ in ‘Bt cotton’ indicates that it is a genetically modified organism produced through
biotechnology
b) Somatic hybridization involves fusion of two complete plant cells carrying desired genes

c) The anticoagulant hirudin is being produced from transgenic Brassica napus seeds

d) ‘Flavr savr’ variety of tomato has enhanced the production of ethylene, which improves
its taste
37. The organism, which is used for gene transfer in higher organisms is

a) Agrobacterium tumefaciens b) E. coli

c) Acetobacter aceti d) Bacillus thuringiensis

38. Transgenic plants are

a) Produced by a somatic embryo in artificial medium

b) Generated by introducing foreign DNA into a cell and regenerating a plant from that cell

c) Produced after protoplast fusion in artificial medium

d) Grown in artificial medium after hybridization in the field

39. The tumour inducing capacity of Agrobacterium tumefaciens is located in large extra
chromosomal plasmids called
a) R − plasmid b) Lambda phage c) pBR 322 d) T − plasmid
i i
40. Plants are more rapidly manipulated by genetic engineering than animals due to

a) Single somatic cell, which can regenerate a whole plant body

b) A group of somatic cells, which can regenerate a whole plant body

c) May be (a) or (b)

d) None of the above

41. All are the biotechnological application in order to increase food production, except

a) Pisciculture b) Agro-chemical based agriculture

c) Organic-agriculture d) Genetically engineered crop-based

agriculture
42. Which of the following is correctly matched?

a) Agrobacterium tumefaciens – Tumour b) Thermos aquaticus – Bt-gene

c) pBR322 – Enzyme d) Ligase – Molecular

scissors
43. Ti plasmids used in genetic engineering is obtained from

a) Bacillus thuringiensis

b) Agrobacterium rhizogenes

c) Agrobacterium tumefaciens

d) Pseudomonas syringae

44. Which bacteria was the first to be used as biopesticide on the commercial scale in the
world?
a) Bacillus thuringiensis b) E. coli

c) Pseudomonas aeruginosa d) Agrobacterium tumefaciens

45. 𝐵𝑎𝑐𝑖𝑙𝑙𝑢𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑢𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑠 (𝐵𝑡) strains have been used for designing novel

a) Biofertilisers b) Bio-metallurgical techniques

c) Bio-mineralisation processes d) Bio-insecticidal plants

BIOTECHNOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS IN MEDICINE

46. Production of a human protein in bacteria by genetic engineering is possible because

a) Bacterial cell can carry out the RNA splicing reactions

b) The human chromosome can replicate in bacterial cell

c) The mechanism of gene regulation is identical in humans and bacteria

d) The genetic code is universal

47. Product of biotechnology is

a) Transgenic crops (GM crops) b) Humulin

c) Biofertilizer d) All of the above

48. Enzyme that is used in PCR technology is

a) Taq polymerase b) Polymerase c) Helicase d) Reverse

transcriptase
ETHICAL ISSUES

49. Which of the following is/are true?

I. Biowar is the use of biological weapons against humans and/or their crops and animals.
II. Bioethics is the unauthorized use of bioresources and traditional knowledge related to
bioresources for commercial benefits.
III. Biopatent is exploitation of bioresources of other nations without proper authorization.
a) II only b) I only c) I and II d) I and III
50. The aims and objectives of Genetic Engineering Approval Committee are
I. To permit the use of genetically modified organisms and their product for commercial
applications
II. To adopt the procedures for restriction, production and application of GM organisms
III. approval to conduct large scale field trails and release of transgenic crops in the
environment
Which of the statements are given above are correct?
a) I and II b) I and III c) II and III d) I, II and
III
Solutions

1. (c)
Biotechnology.
The application of biotechnology includes
(i) therapeutics
(ii) diagnostics
(iii) genetically modified crops for agriculture
(iv) processed food
(v) bioremediation
(vi) waste treatment and
(vii) energy production
2. (c)
Biotechnology deals with industrial scale production of biopharmaceuticals and biological use
of genetically modified microbes, fungi, plants and animals
3. (b)
There are three critical research areas of biotechnology
(i) Providing best catalyst as improved organism, usually a microbe or pure enzyme
(ii) Creating optimal conditions by engineering for a catalyst to act
(iii) Downstream processing technologies to purify the proteins/organic compounds
Multiple Ovulation Embryo Transfer Technology (MOET) has successfully increased the herd
size of cattle
4. (a)
Important objectives of biotechnology in agriculture section is to produce pest resistant
varieties of the plants
5. (b)
Insect resistant transgenic cotton was produced through genetic engineering by inserting a
piece of DNA from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis. Hence, this cotton is called transgenic
cotton or 𝐵𝑡 cotton. It provides resistance against the ballworm of cotton.
6. (d)
Agrobacterium tumefaciens is a widespread naturally occurring soil bacterium that causes
crown gall and has the ability to introduce new genetic material into the plant cell
7.
(c)
Bt toxin protein crystals present in bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis, do not kill the bacteria
themselves because toxins occur as inactive protoxin in bacteria
8. (a)
Bacillus thuringiensis is a natural insecticide with unusual properties that makes it useful for pest
control in certain situations. Bacillus thuringiensis forms protein crystals (Cry protein or cry gene)
which contains a toxic insecticidal protein

9. (c)
The bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis is a common soil bacteria, which produces a protein toxin that
kills certain insects. The toxin is a crystal (Cry) protein. There are several kinds of cry toxin which
are toxic to different groups of insects. The gene encoding Cry protein is called by gene
10. (c)
Bt toxin is coded by a gene named cry. There are number of such genes, 𝑒. 𝑔., the proteins encoded
by the genes cry IAc and cry IIAb control the cotton bollworms, that of cry IAb controls corn borer

11. (c)
Vector is used to introduce genes into a host cell, where the genes may be amplified or otherwise
manipulated, e.g., A. tumefaciens.

12. (a)
RNA interference.
Nematodes is a group of organisms, which parasites a large number of plants and animals including
human being. One of the common nematodes Meloidegyne incognitia infects the roots of tobacco
plants and causes a great loss by causing reduction in yield.
This infestation was prevented by using a novel strategy, which was based on the process of RNA
interference (RNAi). RNA is powerful reverse genetic tool to study gene function

13. (d)
The term green revolution leads to the very substantial yield increase obtained by plants resulted
from the development of new crop varieties under intensive programme of fertilizers, water and
pesticide management. The high yielding varieties of wheat and rice have been the key element in
the green revolution.

14. (d)
The term green revolution leads to the very substantial yield increase obtained by plants resulted
from the development of new crop varieties under intensive programme of fertilizers, water and
pesticide management. The high yielding varieties of wheat and rice have been the key element in
the green revolution.

15.
(a)
Insect resistant transgenic plants contain either a gene from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis or some
other gene. In Bt cotton and Bt tobacco the insect resistant gene is transferred from Bacillus thuringiensis.
16. (c)
Golden rice.
Golden rice a variety of Oryza sativa is produced through the genetic engineering of biosynthesis beta-
carotene, a precursor of provitamin-A in the edible parts of rice. The research that led to golden rice was
conducted with the goal of helping children who suffer from vitamin-A deficiency and blindness in poor
countries. Golden rice has been breed to be especially disease-resistant, resulting in better crop yield
17.
(d)
Genetic modification of crops have resulted in
(i) Increased tolerance against abiotic stresses (cold, drought, salt and heat)
(ii) Reduced reliance on chemical pesticides (pest-resistant crops)
(iii) Reduced post-harvest losses
(iv) Enhanced nutritional value of food, 𝑒. 𝑔., vitamin-A enriched (golden rice)
(v) Increased efficiency of minerals used by the plants (this prevents early exhaustion of fertility of
soil)
18. (a)
Some strains of Bacillus thuringiensis produces proteins that kills some insects like lepidopterans
(tobacco budworm, armyworm), coleopterans (beetles) and dipterans (flies and mosquitoes)

19.
(b)
Example of gene therapy Introduction of gene for adenosine deaminase in person suffering from
Severe Combined Immune Deficiency (SCID)
20.(d)
SCID (Severe Combined Immuno Deficiency) is caused due to the defect in the gene synthesizing
ADA. For the treatment of SCID, stem cell therapy is used in which bone marrow cells are taken
from the patients and correct ADA gene is introduced using retroviruses as vectors.
21.(b)
In recombinant DNA technology, a probe is allowed to hybridise to its complementary DNA in the
clone of cells. The cells are then detected by autoradiography. The cells with mutated genes will not
be observed on the photographic film because the probe was not complementary to the mutated
genes

22. (b)
Eli Lilly.
The company that developed genetically engineered E. coli to make human insulin was
Genetech. They developed it in 1978. This technique was purchased by another American
company Eli Lilly in September 1982. On 5th July, 1983 Eli Lilly company launched the first
genetically engineered human insulin by the name humulin
23. (c)
The main challenge for the production of insulin using RiDNA technique was getting insulin
assembled into a mature form. In 1983, Eli Lilly an American company, first prepared two DNA
sequences corresponding to A and B chains of human insulin and introduced them into the
plasmids of Escherichia coli to produce insulin chains. Chains A and B were produced
separately, extracted and combined by creating disulphide bonds to form human insulin
(humulin)
24.sol(a)
25. (d)
The recombinant DNA technology process have made great impact in the area of healthcare by
the mass production of safe and more effective therapeutics drugs. Further, the recombinant
therapeutics do not induces unwanted immunological responses. Now, about 30 recombinant
therapeutics have been approved for human use all over the world. In India, 12 of these are
presently being marketed
26. (d)
Adenosine deaminase enzyme is very important for the immune system to function. In the
absence of adenosine deaminase enzyme, purine metabolism is disturbed and T-lymphocytes
fails to function. ADA deficiency can lead to Severe combiuned Immune Deficiency (SCID)
SCID is caused due to defect in the genes for the enzyme adenosine deaminase. The genetic
diseases that are being investigated for gene therapy ranges from sickle-cell anaemia to Severe
Combined Immuno Deficiency (SCID). In some children, ADA deficiency can be cured by bone
marrow transplantation
However, in others it can be treated by the enzyme replacement therapy, in which functional
ADA is given to the patient by injection. But in both approaches, the patients are not completely
cured. For permanent cure, gene isolated from the bone marrow cells producing ADA at early
embryonic stage can be a possible cure
2.7. (d)
Animals whose DNA is manipulated to process and express an extra (Foreign) gene are known
as transgenic animals. Following are the common reasons for developing transgenic animals
(i) Study of normal physiology and development 𝑒. 𝑔., study of complex growth factors like
insulin like growth factor
(ii) Study of disease Transgenic model have been developed for many human diseases like
cancer, cystic fibrosis, rheumatoid arthritis and Alzheimer’s disease
(iii) Obtain useful biological products, 𝑒. 𝑔., human protein (α-1-antitrypsin) is used to treat
emphysema
(iv) Vaccine safety-Transgenic mice are developed to test the safety of vaccine before being
used on humans. For example polio vaccine
(v) Chemical safety testing; Transgenic animals are made to carry genes, which makes them
more sensitive to the toxic substances than non-transgenic animals
28. (b)
Transgenic animals are those, which have foreign DNA in all of its cells
29.sol(A)
30. (b)
Some nations are developing laws to prevent such unauthorised exploitation of their
bioresearch and traditional knowledge. To check these problems, India parliament has recently
cleared the second amendment of the Indian Patents Bill, that takes such issues into
consideration
31. (c)
Basmati is unique for its aroma and flavor, whose 27 varieties are cultivated in India
32. (c)
Both statements are corrects.
GEAC was set up by the ministry of environment and forests to regulate research, testing and
commercial release of GM crops, food and organisms
The aim and objectives of GEAC are
(i) to permit the use of GM organisms and their products for the commercial applications
(ii) to adopt the procedures for restriction, production a scale, import, export and application of
GM organisms
(iii) approval to conduct a large scale field trails and release of transgenic crops in the
environment
(iv) to authorise agencies or persons to have large scale production and the release of GM
organisms into the environment or curb and take punitive action against them
33. (c)
Genetic Engineering Approval Committee – Government of India formed the organisation like
GEAC (Genetic Engineering Approval Committee) to decides the validity and safety of GM
organisms for public safety
34. (c)
Rice is being used since thousands of years in Asia’s agricultural history of which 200,000
varieties are in India alone
35. (b)
Biopiracy.
Indian Basmati was crossed with semi dwarf variety and was claimed as a new variety for which
the patent was filled by a USA company
36. (c)
‘Bt’ in ‘Bt’ cotton stands for Bacillus thuringiensis, a soil bacterium from which Bt gene
(encoding Bt toxin) is obtained. Somatic hybridization involves the fusion of protoplast (i.e, cell
minus cell wall) of two cells. Flavr savr is a transgenic tomato with hard skin and improved
flavor and recombinant hirudin is obtained from the seeds of transgenic Brassica napas at
commercial scale.
37. (a)
Ti − plasmid of the bacterium Agrobacterium tumefaciens is used to carry DNA into plant cells.
38. b)
The plants obtained through genetic engineering contain a gene or genes usually from an
unrelated organism, such genes are called transgenes and the plants containing transenes are
known as transgenic plants. These plants are often called as genetically modified or GM crops,
e.g., Flavr savr tomatoes, golden rice. Plants are made transgenic for identification, expressing
the gene activity in time, to produce several chemicals like fatty acids, sugars, cellulose, rubber,
etc.
39. (d)
Ti − plasmid is found in Agrobacterium tumefaciens, which produces crown gall (tumour) in a
large number of dicot species. A tumefaciens is a Gram negative soil bacterium that infects a
wide range of plants and cause crown galls.
40.
(a)
Plants are more rapidly manipulated by genetic engineering than animals because single somatic
cell can regenerate a whole plant body.

41. (a)
Food production can be increased by applying biotechnology is the following ways
(i) Agrochemicals based agriculture
(ii) Organic agriculture
(iii) Genetically engineered crop base agriculture
Fish farming in isolated water bodies is called pisciculture

42. (a)
Agrobacterium tumefaciens (updated scientific name: Rizobium radiobacte) is the causal agent
of crown gall desease (the formation of tumour) in over 140 species of dicot. It is a rod-shaped,
Gram negative soil bacterium (Smith, et. al, 1907). Symptoms are caused by the insertion of a
small segment of DNA, known as T-DNA (transfer DNA) into the plant cell, which is
incorporated at a semi-random location into the plant genome.
43. c)
Ti plasmid is a plasmid present in Agrobacterium tumefacies. It is used in genetic engineering
in plants, e.g., as a vector in gene transfer to dicot plants.
44.
(a)
Bacillus thuringiensis was the first to be used as biopesticides on the commercial scale in the world

45. (d)
Bio-insecticidal plants.
Meloidegyne incognitia.
Alleviation of vitamin-A deficiency.
Golden rice a variety of Oryza sativa is produced through the genetic engineering of biosynthesis
beta-carotene, a precursor of provitamin-A in the edible parts of rice. The research that led to golden
rice was conducted with the goal of helping children who suffer from vitamin-A deficiency and
blindness in poor countries. Golden rice has been breed to be especially disease-resistant, resulting
in better crop yield

46.sol(d)
47. (d)
Biotechnology may be, simply defined as the use of micro-organisms animals or plant’s cells, or
thin components to generate products and services useful to human beings. Now-a-days,
biotechnology is very helpful in producing transgenic crops or genetically modified (GM) crops,
transgenic animals, biofertilizers, antibodies, hormones like humulin (genetically engineered
human insulin), antibodies and various other useful products.
48. (a)
The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a technique by which small samples of DNA can be
quickly amplified. The repeated amplification is achieved by the use of thermostable DNA
polymerase, i.e., (Taq-polymerase isolated from a bacterium, Thermus aquaticus) which remain
active during the high temperature induced denaturation of double-stranded DNA.
49.
(b)
Biowar or biological war or bioterrorism is the development of biological weapons against
people, their crops and animals.

50. (d)
GEAC was set up by the ministry of environment and forests to regulate research, testing and
commercial release of GM crops, food and organisms
The aim and objectives of GEAC are
(i) to permit the use of GM organisms and their products for the commercial applications
(ii) to adopt the procedures for restriction, production a scale, import, export and application of
GM organisms
(iii) approval to conduct a large scale field trails and release of transgenic crops in the
environment
(iv) to authorise agencies or persons to have large scale production and the release of GM
organisms into the environment or curb and take punitive action against them