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Biotechnology and Its Applications: questions with answers

Class 12 Biology, Chapter 10 (NCERT). 15 questions by concept. Open “Show answer” for the answer and why.

How to teach this chapter · Common misconceptions & worked visual for this chapter

Bt crops and insect specificity

Question 1

Which statement best explains bt crops and insect specificity?

  1. (a)Bt genes carry the code for protoxins, which become active in the alkaline gut of susceptible insects. The toxin then binds specific gut receptors and damages epithelial cells. So which insects are affected depends on the Cry protein and the insect's biology.
  2. (b)Bt plants contain live Bacillus cells in every tissue
  3. (c)The process has no biological mechanism and never depends on evidence.
  4. (d)Bt toxin is equally active against every organism
Show answer

(a) Bt genes carry the code for protoxins, which become active in the alkaline gut of susceptible insects. The toxin then binds specific gut receptors and damages epithelial cells. So which insects are affected depends on the Cry protein and the insect's biology.

Bt genes encode protoxins activated in the alkaline gut of susceptible insects; the toxin binds specific gut receptors and damages epithelial cells, so target range depends on Cry protein and insect biology.

Question 2

A learner claims: Bt toxin is equally active against every organism. Which correction is best?

  1. (a)Bt plants contain live Bacillus cells in every tissue
  2. (b)Cry proteins act on particular susceptible insect groups and require specific gut conditions.
  3. (c)The claim is correct because all biological systems behave identically.
  4. (d)Bt toxin is equally active against every organism
Show answer

(b) Cry proteins act on particular susceptible insect groups and require specific gut conditions.

Cry proteins act on particular susceptible insect groups and require specific gut conditions.

GM agriculture: benefits and limits

Question 3

Which statement best explains gm agriculture: benefits and limits?

  1. (a)One GM trait solves every agricultural problem permanently
  2. (b)Any yield change proves the transgene alone caused it
  3. (c)Engineered crops can reduce selected losses, improve traits or support nutrition, but resistance evolution, gene flow, non-target effects and social and economic context require monitoring and integrated management.
  4. (d)The process has no biological mechanism and never depends on evidence.
Show answer

(c) Engineered crops can reduce selected losses, improve traits or support nutrition, but resistance evolution, gene flow, non-target effects and social and economic context require monitoring and integrated management.

Engineered crops can reduce selected losses, improve traits or support nutrition, but resistance evolution, gene flow, non-target effects and socioeconomic context require monitoring and integrated management.

Question 4

A learner claims: One GM trait solves every agricultural problem permanently. Which correction is best?

  1. (a)Trait performance is specific and resistance management remains necessary.
  2. (b)The claim is correct because all biological systems behave identically.
  3. (c)One GM trait solves every agricultural problem permanently
  4. (d)Any yield change proves the transgene alone caused it
Show answer

(a) Trait performance is specific and resistance management remains necessary.

Trait performance is specific and resistance management remains necessary.

RNA interference

Question 5

Which statement best explains rna interference?

  1. (a)RNA interference uses double-stranded RNA to trigger sequence-specific degradation or silencing of complementary RNA, providing a way to reduce expression of a target gene or parasite transcript.
  2. (b)RNAi increases every gene's expression
  3. (c)The process has no biological mechanism and never depends on evidence.
  4. (d)RNAi acts without sequence complementarity
Show answer

(a) RNA interference uses double-stranded RNA to trigger sequence-specific degradation or silencing of complementary RNA, providing a way to reduce expression of a target gene or parasite transcript.

RNA interference uses double-stranded RNA to trigger sequence-specific degradation or silencing of complementary RNA, providing a way to reduce expression of a target gene or parasite transcript.

Question 6

A learner claims: RNAi increases every gene's expression. Which correction is best?

  1. (a)RNAi acts without sequence complementarity
  2. (b)The claim is correct because all biological systems behave identically.
  3. (c)RNAi increases every gene's expression
  4. (d)RNAi reduces expression of sequence-complementary targets.
Show answer

(d) RNAi reduces expression of sequence-complementary targets.

RNAi reduces expression of sequence-complementary targets.

Recombinant human insulin

Question 7

Which statement best explains recombinant human insulin?

  1. (a)Insulin contains no peptide chains or disulfide bonds
  2. (b)Human insulin is produced by expressing engineered sequences in microbial hosts and assembling or processing the product appropriately, avoiding immune problems associated with animal pancreatic insulin.
  3. (c)The process has no biological mechanism and never depends on evidence.
  4. (d)Bacteria naturally secrete mature human insulin without engineering
Show answer

(b) Human insulin is produced by expressing engineered sequences in microbial hosts and assembling or processing the product appropriately, avoiding immune problems associated with animal pancreatic insulin.

Human insulin is produced by expressing engineered sequences in microbial hosts and assembling or processing the product appropriately, avoiding immune problems associated with nonhuman pancreatic insulin.

Question 8

A learner claims: Bacteria naturally secrete mature human insulin without engineering. Which correction is best?

  1. (a)Production requires recombinant constructs and suitable processing.
  2. (b)Insulin contains no peptide chains or disulfide bonds
  3. (c)The claim is correct because all biological systems behave identically.
  4. (d)Bacteria naturally secrete mature human insulin without engineering
Show answer

(a) Production requires recombinant constructs and suitable processing.

Production requires recombinant constructs and suitable processing.

Gene therapy for ADA deficiency

Question 9

Which statement best explains gene therapy for ada deficiency?

  1. (a)Gene therapy removes every gene from the patient
  2. (b)Correcting short-lived lymphocytes is automatically permanent
  3. (c)ADA-deficiency gene therapy introduces a functional ADA sequence into suitable patient cells. Correction may be temporary if short-lived cells are used. Durable treatment requires long-lived corrected stem cells, or appropriate in-vivo strategies.
  4. (d)The process has no biological mechanism and never depends on evidence.
Show answer

(c) ADA-deficiency gene therapy introduces a functional ADA sequence into suitable patient cells. Correction may be temporary if short-lived cells are used. Durable treatment requires long-lived corrected stem cells, or appropriate in-vivo strategies.

ADA-deficiency gene therapy introduces a functional ADA sequence into suitable patient cells; correction may be temporary if short-lived cells are used, while durable treatment requires long-lived corrected stem cells or appropriate in-vivo strategies.

Question 10

A learner claims: Gene therapy removes every gene from the patient. Which correction is best?

  1. (a)Correcting short-lived lymphocytes is automatically permanent
  2. (b)It aims to add or repair a functional sequence in selected cells.
  3. (c)Gene therapy removes every gene from the patient
  4. (d)The claim is correct because all biological systems behave identically.
Show answer

(b) It aims to add or repair a functional sequence in selected cells.

It aims to add or repair a functional sequence in selected cells.

Molecular diagnosis

Question 11

Which statement best explains molecular diagnosis?

  1. (a)PCR can detect low amounts of pathogen or altered DNA by amplification, while ELISA detects antigen-antibody interactions; early molecular detection can happen before symptoms become obvious.
  2. (b)The process has no biological mechanism and never depends on evidence.
  3. (c)PCR detects proteins by antigen-antibody binding
  4. (d)Molecular tests work only after severe symptoms appear
Show answer

(a) PCR can detect low amounts of pathogen or altered DNA by amplification, while ELISA detects antigen-antibody interactions; early molecular detection can happen before symptoms become obvious.

PCR can detect low amounts of pathogen or altered DNA by amplification, while ELISA detects antigen-antibody interactions; early molecular detection can precede overt symptoms.

Transgenic animals

Question 12

Which statement best explains transgenic animals?

  1. (a)Every transgenic animal is made only for food
  2. (b)Transgenic animals help study gene regulation, disease mechanisms, biological products, vaccine safety and chemical toxicity; conclusions require controls, welfare safeguards and appropriate models.
  3. (c)A model organism reproduces every human feature exactly
  4. (d)The process has no biological mechanism and never depends on evidence.
Show answer

(b) Transgenic animals help study gene regulation, disease mechanisms, biological products, vaccine safety and chemical toxicity; conclusions require controls, welfare safeguards and appropriate models.

Transgenic animals help study gene regulation, disease mechanisms, biological products, vaccine safety and chemical toxicity; conclusions require controls, welfare safeguards and appropriate models.

Biosafety and ethical evaluation

Question 13

Which statement best explains biosafety and ethical evaluation?

  1. (a)The process has no biological mechanism and never depends on evidence.
  2. (b)GM organisms are assessed for environmental, food and health risks using case-specific evidence, containment and regulation; neither automatic safety nor automatic danger is scientifically justified.
  3. (c)All GM organisms are inherently risk-free
  4. (d)All genetic modification is necessarily harmful
Show answer

(b) GM organisms are assessed for environmental, food and health risks using case-specific evidence, containment and regulation; neither automatic safety nor automatic danger is scientifically justified.

GM organisms are assessed for environmental, food and health risks using case-specific evidence, containment and regulation; neither automatic safety nor automatic danger is scientifically justified.

Biopatents and biopiracy

Question 14

Which statement best explains biopatents and biopiracy?

  1. (a)The process has no biological mechanism and never depends on evidence.
  2. (b)Traditional knowledge can never count as prior art
  3. (c)Biopatent disputes concern legal claims over biological inventions, while biopiracy involves unauthorised or unfair use of biological resources or traditional knowledge; prior art and benefit sharing matter.
  4. (d)A patent automatically proves ethical benefit sharing
Show answer

(c) Biopatent disputes concern legal claims over biological inventions, while biopiracy involves unauthorised or unfair use of biological resources or traditional knowledge; prior art and benefit sharing matter.

Biopatent disputes concern legal claims over biological inventions, while biopiracy involves unauthorised or inequitable use of biological resources or traditional knowledge; prior art and benefit sharing matter.

Recombinant therapeutics and vaccines

Question 15

Which statement best explains recombinant therapeutics and vaccines?

  1. (a)Expression of a gene guarantees a correctly folded therapeutic
  2. (b)The process has no biological mechanism and never depends on evidence.
  3. (c)Recombinant systems can produce defined proteins, antigens and antibodies with consistent quality, but expression, folding, purification, dosing and safety still need to be checked and confirmed.
  4. (d)A recombinant product needs no purification
Show answer

(c) Recombinant systems can produce defined proteins, antigens and antibodies with consistent quality, but expression, folding, purification, dosing and safety still need to be checked and confirmed.

Recombinant systems can produce defined proteins, antigens and antibodies with consistent quality, but expression, folding, purification, dosing and safety still require validation.

Common misconception in Biotechnology and Its Applications

Open full misconception guide →

Does Bt maize protect against every insect?

Wrong

A crop carrying a Bt gene resists all insect pests.

Why it feels right. The phrase insect-resistant sounds like a universal property.

Right

Different Bt proteins affect particular susceptible groups of insects.

Worked example

Susceptible caterpillar
Eats tissue→Bt protein acts in gut
Aphid outside target range
Feeds on crop→Outside this protein's target range
The protein targets susceptible insects. Exposure through the crop does not imply that every species is affected.
  1. A Bt protein selected against a caterpillar pest acts in the gut of susceptible larvae.
  2. An aphid can still feed on the same plant because it is outside that protein's target range.