Biotechnology and its Applications: Class 12 Important Questions with Answers

Practice set: test yourself

Try every question before looking at the answers below. 64 or more out of 80 means you are ready for the board.

C. Very short answer (1 mark each)

1. Name one GM crop rich in a vitamin.
2. Which genes protect cotton from bollworms?
3. Which vector introduces nematode genes into tobacco?
4. Which company first made human insulin by rDNA?
5. Which vector carries ADA cDNA into lymphocytes?
6. Name a protein in Rosie's milk.
7. Name a transgenic animal used to test polio vaccine.
8. Name the human protein used to treat emphysema.
9. Expand GMO.
10. Give one example of biopiracy.

D. Short answer I (2 marks each)

1. Why does Bt toxin not kill Bacillus?
2. What is RNAi?
3. Give two advantages of GM plants.
4. How is human insulin different from proinsulin?
5. Why is periodic infusion needed in ADA gene therapy?
6. How does a radioactive probe help diagnosis?
7. Give two uses of transgenic animals.
8. What is biopiracy?

Rough work

E. Short answer II (3 marks each)

1. Explain how Bt cotton resists insects.
2. Describe the RNAi strategy against Meloidogyne.
3. Describe the production of human insulin by Eli Lilly.
4. Describe ADA gene therapy.
5. Explain three methods of molecular diagnosis.
6. Explain the roles of GEAC and the issue of patents.

F. Long answer (5 marks each)

1. What are transgenic animals? Explain five areas where they benefit humans.
2. Describe the applications of biotechnology in agriculture with examples.

G. HOTS (higher-order thinking)

1. Why is introducing the ADA gene at an early embryonic stage expected to be a permanent cure?
2. Why should the toxin be activated only in an alkaline gut?
3. Why are mice the most common transgenic animals?
4. Why should GM crops be tested before release?

20 MCQs

1. GM crops reduce reliance on
   (a) water (b) sunlight (c) chemical pesticides (d) soil
2. Golden rice is enriched in
   (a) β-carotene (b) vitamin C (c) iron only (d) protein
3. Bt toxin is produced by
   (a) Agrobacterium (b) Rhizobium (c) E. coli (d) Bacillus thuringiensis
4. Bt toxin is activated by
   (a) acidic pH (b) alkaline pH of the gut (c) heat (d) light
5. cryIAc and cryIIAb control
   (a) corn borer (b) cotton bollworm (c) nematodes (d) aphids
6. RNAi involves
   (a) ssDNA (b) protein (c) dsDNA (d) dsRNA
7. Meloidogyne incognita is a
   (a) nematode (b) bacterium (c) fungus (d) virus
8. Insulin chains are joined by
   (a) peptide bonds only (b) hydrogen bonds (c) disulphide bonds (d) ionic bonds
9. Human insulin was first produced by
   (a) Monsanto (b) Biocon (c) Pfizer (d) Eli Lilly
10. The C-peptide is removed from
    (a) Eli Lilly insulin (b) proinsulin (c) glucagon (d) albumin
11. First gene therapy was in
    (a) 1983 (b) 1997 (c) 1990 (d) 2003
12. In ADA gene therapy, cells modified are
    (a) lymphocytes (b) RBCs (c) neurons (d) liver cells
13. Very low pathogen levels are detected by
    (a) urine analysis (b) PCR (c) microscopy (d) culture only
14. Probe detection uses
    (a) ELISA (b) gel staining only (c) autoradiography (d) PCR only
15. Over 95% of transgenic animals are
    (a) cows (b) pigs (c) sheep (d) mice
16. α-1-antitrypsin treats
    (a) emphysema (b) diabetes (c) AIDS (d) cancer
17. Rosie's milk had
    (a) human α-lactalbumin (b) insulin (c) growth hormone (d) interferon
18. Transgenic mice test the safety of
    (a) insulin (b) pesticides only (c) antibiotics (d) polio vaccine
19. GEAC is under the Ministry of
    (a) Health (b) Environment (c) Agriculture (d) Commerce
20. Patent on basmati was a case of
    (a) bioremediation (b) biofortification (c) biopiracy (d) biocontrol

1 (c) · 2 (a) · 3 (d) · 4 (b) · 5 (b) · 6 (d) · 7 (a) · 8 (c) · 9 (d) · 10 (b) · 11 (c) · 12 (a) · 13 (b) · 14 (c) · 15 (d) · 16 (a) · 17 (a) · 18 (d) · 19 (b) · 20 (c)

Assertion–Reason (6)

(a) Both true, R explains A. (b) Both true, R does not explain A. (c) A true, R false. (d) A false, R true.

1. A: Bt toxin does not kill the bacterium. R: It is stored as an inactive protoxin.
2. A: Transgenic tobacco resists nematodes. R: dsRNA silences the nematode's mRNA.
3. A: Eli Lilly's insulin needs C-peptide removal. R: It is made as two separate chains.
4. A: ADA gene therapy needs periodic infusion. R: Engineered lymphocytes are not immortal.
5. A: GEAC decides the validity of GM research. R: GM organisms never affect the ecosystem.
6. A: ELISA helps early diagnosis. R: It detects antigens or antibodies of the pathogen.

Key: 1 (a) · 2 (a) · 3 (d) · 4 (a) · 5 (c) · 6 (a)

Answers to the practice set