Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology

Earlier, insulin used for curing diabetes used to be extracted from pancreas of slaughtered pigs and cattle. This insulin was slightly different from human insulin and caused some undesirable side effects such as allergy. Genetically engineered insulin is a far more efficient.

Bt cotton is modified in such a way that it is resistant to insects and pests. It has inactive protein being produced which gets activated once entering the gut of insect and killing them.

The process of creating a GM crop can produce many changes in the natural functioning of the plant's genome. Native genes can be mutated, deleted, permanently turned on or off and may change their levels of protein expression. This increasing the levels of an existing protein or even producing a completely new and unknown protein within the crop can act as an allergen in consumers. Hence, foods derived from genetically modified crops are required to be tested for possible allergic reactions in people.

Reverse genetics is a method that is used to help understand the function of a gene by analyzing the phenotypic effects of specific engineered gene sequences. Reverse genetics usually proceeds in the opposite direction of so-called forward genetic screens of classical genetics. The goal in reverse genetics is Identification of gene from map position.

White or gray biotechnolgy involves industrial processes such as the development of new chemicals or production of new fuel for vehicles.

• The recombinant DNA technology by which DNA fragments from different organisms are joined together to produce new genetic combinations was discovered by Stanley Cohen and Herbert Boyer. 

• Dolly, a Finn Dorset lamb, was produced by gene cloning by Ian Wilmut and his co-workers.

Biotechnology deals with the techniques of using live microorganisms, plant or animal cells or their components or enzymes from organisms to produce products and processes useful to human beings. It includes DNA manipulation, gene manipulation, recombinant DNA technology, and Genetic Engineering. Synthesis of genes, correction of genes, alteration of genes are included in Genetic Engineering. 

Transfer of gene from parent to offspring is a normal way of heredity. All offsprings inherit some characters from their parents as a result of fertilization. 

Thus the correct option is 'Transfer of a gene from parent to off spring'.

Pseudomonas putida is a Gram-negative, rod shaped, aerobic, chemoheterotrophic bacterium. Being chemoheterotrophic, they use organic compounds as source of their energy. This bacterium can break down any of aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons. Most of the organic toxins are aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons. Genetically engineered marine-dweller Pseudomonas putida use hydrocarbons as fuel and break down the ring structures of the hydrocarbons in oil spill in presence of enzymes and seawater oxygen and emit carbon dioxide. 

Use of microbes or the living cells in industry and technology to manufacture certain food,drugs(medicines) and chemicals etc is known as biotechnology.

Biotechnology is the use of living systems and organisms to develop or make products, or "any technological application that uses biological systems, living organisms or derivatives thereof, to make or modify products or processes for specific use" (UN Convention on Biological Diversity, Art. 2). New tools and products developed by biotechnologists are useful in research, agriculture, industry and the clinic. Thus, the correct answer is option C.

Biotechnology involves manipulation of 1) structure and action of molecules and 2) genes for numerous purposes ranging from producing drugs(like insulin) from bacteria, to introduce beneficial genes in plants and animals to obtain desired chemical substances in their products.

White (also called gray) biotechnology involves industrial processes such as the production of new chemicals or the development of new fuels for vehicles, the use of cells, natural organisms and bio-organic compounds to synthesize materials, instead of petrochemicals or substitution of enzymes for caustic reagents.

Biotechnology uses cellular and biomolecular processes to develop technologies and products that help improve our lives and the health of our planet. Plants and animals can be improved by selectively breeding for particular traits or by genetic modification. Beneficial traits can be identified visually or by DNA profiling. Gene modification or transgenesis are used to produce therapeutic human proteins in cells or whole organisms. The cell or organism used depends upon how large and complex the protein is. For example, human insulin. Biotechnology improves crop insect resistance, enhances crop herbicide tolerance and facilitates the use of more environmentally sustainable farming practices.

Genetic engineering is the process of modifying the genetic makeup of an organism. In this, specific genes from one organism are transferred into the chromosome of another organism. Two bacteria commonly employed in genetic engineering are Escherichia and Agrobacterium. Escherichia is widely used in because it is easy and inexpensive to grow. It is easy to manipulate the genome of Escherichia. Agrobacterium is used because of its ability to transfer genes to plants and fungi due to presence of Ti plasmid.