Biology

Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology

2,010 Questions

Genetic engineering and biotechnology involve modifying organism DNA to develop transgenic crops, medical treatments, and industrial solutions. This field covers essential techniques like hybridoma technology, molecular markers, and gene transfer in eukaryotic cells. These biology topics are essential for aspirants preparing for various competitive examinations.

Genetic engineering techniquesTransgenic organismsIndustrial biotechnologyGMOs and bioremediation

Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology Questions

Multiple choice botany biotechnology and its applications biotechnology in agriculture gm crops transgenic organisms

Transgenic plants are

  1. Produced by a somatic embryo in an artificial medium.

  2. Generated by introducing foreign DNA into a cell and regenerating a plant form.

  3. Produced after protoplast fusion in an artificial medium.

  4. Grown in an artificial medium after hybridization in the field.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

A transgenic plant is a plant, with an insertion of DNA from another organism. This technology can be used as a tool for researchers to insert useful genes as a means of improving crops.

Thus, the correct answer is option B.

Multiple choice botany biotechnology and its applications biotechnology in agriculture gm crops transgenic organisms

Golden rice is a promising transgenic crop. When released for cultivation, it will help in

  1. Herbicide tolerance

  2. Producing a petrol-like fuel fro m rice

  3. Alleviation of vitamin A deficie ncy

  4. Pest resistance
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Golden rice is specifically engineered to contain beta-carotene, which helps combat Vitamin A deficiency in populations that rely heavily on rice as a staple food.

Multiple choice botany biotechnology and its applications biotechnology in agriculture gm crops transgenic organisms

Basic principle of developing transgenic plants and animals is to introduce the gene of interest into the nucleus to.

  1. somatic cell

  2. vegetative cell

  3. germ cell

  4. body cell
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

The principle of developing transgenic plants and animals is to introduce the gene of interest into the nucleus to germ cell.

So, the correct option is 'Germ cell'.

Multiple choice botany biotechnology and its applications biotechnology in agriculture gm crops transgenic organisms

Which one of the following bacteria is used for production of transgenic plants?

  1. Escherichia coli

  2. Bacillus thuringiensis

  3. Staphylococcus aureus

  4. Agrobacterium tumefaciens
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Bt corn varieties, for example, contain a gene from a bacterium found in the soil that causes the transgenic corn to produce an insecticidal protein.

So, the correct option is 'Bacillus thuringiensis'.

Multiple choice botany biotechnology and its applications biotechnology in agriculture gm crops transgenic organisms

Golden rice is a genetically modified crop plant where the incorporated gene is meant for biosynthesis of.

  1. Vitamin-B

  2. Vitamin-C
  3. Omega-$3$

  4. Vitamin-A
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

golden rice is a genetically modified crop plant where the incorporated gene. Golden rice is a variety of rice produced through genetic engineering to biosynthesize beta-carotene, a precursor of vitamin A, in the edible parts of rice.

So, the correct option is 'Vitamin A'.

Multiple choice biology biotechnology and genetic engineering biotechnology in agriculture gm crops transgenic organisms

Golden rice is a transgenic crop of the future with the following improved trail

  1. insect resistance

  2. high lysine (essential amino acid) content

  3. high protein content

  4. high vitamin-A content
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Golden rice is a genetically modified variety of rice engineered to produce beta-carotene, which is a precursor to Vitamin A, to address Vitamin A deficiency.

Multiple choice botany biotechnology and genetic engineering stds and infertility gm crops biotechnology

The genetically-modified (GM) brinjal in India has been developed for

  1. Drought resistance

  2. Insect resistance

  3. Enhancing shelf life

  4. Enhancing mineral content
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

The Bt brinjal is a suite of transgenic brinjals created by inserting a crystal protein gene (Cry1Ac) from the soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis into the genome of various brinjal cultivars. The insertion of the gene, along with other genetic elements, such as promoters, terminators and an antibiotic resistance marker gene into the brinjal plant is accomplished using Agrobacterium-mediated genetic transformation. 

The Bt brinjal has been developed to give resistance against lepidopteron insects, in particular the brinjal fruit. 

Multiple choice botany biotechnology and genetic engineering stds and infertility gm crops biotechnology

Which of the following statements is not correct regarding the genetic modification of crops?

  1. It makes crops more tolerant to abiotic stresses.

  2. It results in decreased efficiency of mineral usage by plants.

  3. It helps to reduce post harvest losses.

  4. In enhances the nutritional value of food.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation
Genetic modification has:
(i) Made crops more tolerant to abiotic stress (cold, drought, salt, heat.)
(ii) Reduced reliance on chemical pesticides (pest-resistant crops).
(iii) Helped to reduce on post-harvest losses.
(iv) Increased efficiency of mineral usage by plants (this prevents early exhaustion of fertility of soil ).
(v) Enhanced nutritional value of food, e.g., Vitamin 'A' enriched rice.
In addition to these uses, GM has been used to create tailor-made plants to supply alternative resources to industries, in the form of starch, fuel, and pharmaceuticals. 
So, the correct answer is 'It results in decreased efficiency of mineral usage by plants.'
Multiple choice botany biotechnology and genetic engineering stds and infertility gm crops biotechnology

Study the following statements and select the incorrect ones.


(i) 'Bt' in 'Bt cotton' indicates that is a genetically modified crop produced through biotechnology.
(ii) The anticoagulant 'hirudin' is being produced from transgenic Brassica napus seeds.
(iii) 'Flavr Savr' transgenic tomatoes remain fresh for a longer period than the normal tomato variety.
(iv) Golden rice is a transgenic variety of Oryza sativa, which is rich in $\beta$-carotene and helps to prevent night blindness.

  1. (i) only

  2. (i) and (iv)

  3. (ii) and (iii)

  4. (i), (ii), (iii) and (iv)
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

'Bt' in 'Bt cotton' stands for Bacillus thuringiensis, a soil bacterium that produces toxins, not a general term for genetically modified crops produced through biotechnology.

Multiple choice botany biotechnology and genetic engineering stds and infertility gm crops biotechnology

Which statements about genetically modified (GM) food is false?

  1. Scientists have used genetic modification, In various forms, as a mean of improving crop yields, crop quality, and pest resistance for many years.

  2. Genetic modification includes products made by artificial mutagenesis and by non-natural crosses between unrelated species.

  3. A major difficulty in labelling foods as 'GM-free' is that it is virtually impossible to measure genetically modified DNA or protein molecules in most food made from GM crops.

  4. The recent decision by McCain Foods to stop processing GM potatoes means that they will eventually use less pesticides to produce the potatoes that are required to make fries.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

GM food or genetically modified food is obtained from crops improved by artificial mutagenesis and non-natural crosses between unrelated species. GM food production does not involve use of pesticides etc., but includes incorporation of pest resistance genes either through mutation or through transferring it from an insect resistant species.

Multiple choice botany biotechnology and genetic engineering stds and infertility gm crops biotechnology

A genetically modified crop can be formed by inserting the genes of

  1. Another plant

  2. Bacteria

  3. Some animals

  4. All of the above
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Genetically modified crops (GMCs, GM crops or biotech crops) are plants used in agriculture, the DNA of which has been modified using genetic engineering techniques. In most cases the aim is to introduce a new trait to the plant, which does not occur naturally in the species. 

Examples in food crops include resistance to certain pests, diseases or environmental conditions, reduction of spoilage or resistance to chemical treatments (e.g., resistance to a herbicide) or improving the nutrient profile of the crop. 
Examples in non-food crops include production of pharmaceutical agents, biofuels and other industrially useful goods, as well as for bioremediation. A genetically modified crops can be formed by inserting the genes of other plants, bacteria, animals, etc.

Multiple choice botany biotechnology and genetic engineering stds and infertility gm crops biotechnology

Which statement about genetically modified (GM) foods is false?

  1. Scientists have used genetic modification, in various forms, as a means of improving crop yields, crop quality, and pest resistance for many years.

  2. Genetic modification includes products made by artificial mutagenesis and by non-natural crosses between unrelated spscies.

  3. A major difficulty in labelling foods as GM-free is that it is virtually impossible to measure genetically modified DNA or protein molecules in most food made from GM crops.

  4. The recent decision by McCain foods to stop processing GM potatoes means that they will eventually use less pesticides to produce the potatoes that are required to make fries.

  5. A major environmental concern with GM crops is that engineered genes will escape into the environment, resulting in the origin of superweeds (aggressive undersirable plant species).
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

McCain foods has decided to stop processing genetically modified potatoes, because of pressure from consumers who fear damage to the environment and human health. 

Thus, the correct answer is option C.

Multiple choice botany biotechnology and genetic engineering stds and infertility gm crops biotechnology

NaCl is harmful to most crop plants. A scientist at the University of Toronto genetically modified plant so that it could be grown in dry parts of the world where the available water has a high level of NaCl. This genetically modified plant crop with the high levels of NaCl by transporting salt into its vacuoles where it accumulates to abnormally high levels. Which feature would be observed in the genetically modified plant when compared to a non-modified plant?

  1. The leaves in the modified plant are more yellow in colour.

  2. The modified plant has salt crystals on the surface of its leaves.

  3. The cytosol (the material between the plasma membrane and the vacuole membrene, excluding the organelles) in the modified plant has a lower osmotic pressure.

  4. The cytosol in the modified plant has a higher osmotic pressure.

  5. The osmotic pressure is the same in both plants.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

In conditions of high salinity, an important mechanism to survive salt stress relies on the accumulation of excess cytoplasmic Na+ in vacuoles, reducing the amount in the cytoplasm and providing osmotic pressure. The transgenic plants accumulate more Na and K in their leaf tissue. The increased accumulation of sodium is due to the consequence of the activity of the vacuolar sodium proton antiporter. The net increase in the concentration of solutes in the cell leads to an increase in the uptake of water so that the transgenic plants can maintain turgor. 

Thus, the correct answer is option D.