Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology

Total Questions: 49

21. Injaz is the name of the world’s first cloned: [U.P.P.C.S. (Mains) 2008]

Correct Answer: (a) Camel
Solution:The world’s first female cloned camel, was developed at the Camel Reproduction Centre, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

The cloning process involved extracting DNA from the ovaries of a slaughtered camel and using it to create an embryo, which was then implanted into a surrogate mother. Injaz's birth was celebrated as a significant breakthrough in preserving camel genetics.

22. Which of the following statements about a clone of an organism is correct? [R.A.S./R.T.S. (Pre) 1993]

Correct Answer: (b) A clone is produced asexually
Solution:A clone is an organism whose genetic information is identical to that of a parent organism. Clones are produced asexually and are identical to the parent in all characteristics. Cloning refers to the process of creating a clone. Identical twins are not clones, and two clones of an organism are identical.

23. In the case of a test-tube baby — [I.A.S. (Pre) 1994]

Correct Answer: (c) Fertilization takes place outside the mother’s body
Solution:Females, who are not able to conceive a natural pregnancy, their eggs are artificially fertilized. The child born by IVF technique is known as 'Test-tube baby'.

Sperm-egg fertilization which is naturally in female fallopian tubes, takes place in petridishes artificially outside of mother's body. After these fertilized embryos are implanted in the uterus of a female in between 16 to 48 hours for getting new offspring.

24. Consider the following effects of genetic engineering: [U.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 2008 / U.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 2001]

  1. Disease resistance
  2. Growth promotion
  3. Animal cloning
  4. Human cloning

Of the above, that have been tried with a certain amount of success include:

Correct Answer: (d) 1, 2, and 3
Solution:Genetic engineering has been successful in achieving disease resistance, growth enhancement, and animal cloning. However, human cloning has not been successful and is banned due to ethical concerns.

Genetic engineering refers to the direct manipulation of an organism's genome using advanced DNA technology. It involves the introduction, deletion or modification of genes within an organism's DNA to produce desirable traits.

Genetic engineering has revolutionised fields like agriculture, medicine and biotechnology enabling innovations like disease-resistant crops, synthetic insulin production and gene therapy.

The field of genetic engineering has been propelled by advancements in gene editing technologies such as CRISPR-Cas9, in recent years. Gene editing technologies have revolutionized the ability to manipulate genes, allowing scientists to precisely modify and control genetic material.

25. At present, scientists can determine the arrangement or relative positions of genes or DNA sequences on a chromosome. How does this knowledge benefit us? [I.A.S. (Pre) 2011]

  1. It is possible to know the pedigree of livestock.
  2. It is possible to understand the causes of all human diseases.
  3. It is possible to develop disease-resistant animal breeds.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Correct Answer: (c) 1 and 3
Solution:Treatment of different genetic diseases e.g. Alzheimer, Cystic Fibrosis, myotonic dystrophy etc, can be possible with the help of D.N.A. sequencing but this cannot help to understand the causes of all human diseases. Thus, statement 2 is not correct. Other two statements are correct.

26. The sequencing of the entire genes of an organism was done in 1996. That organism was — [I.A.S. (Pre) 1997]

Correct Answer: (b) Yeast
Solution:The genome of the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae was first completely sequenced from a eukaryote in 1996 by hundreds of researchers worldwide.

The S. cerevisiae genome has been extensively studied by scientists, providing valuable information about gene regulation, protein function, and cell cycle control. S. cerevisiae is a widely used model organism in molecular and cell biology research, helping researchers understand eukaryotic cell processes.

27. World level program 'Human Genome Project' is related with — [U.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 2001]

Correct Answer: (d) Identification and mapping of human genes and its sequence
Solution:

The Human Genome Project aimed at identifying and mapping all the genes of the human genome.

The Human Genome Project (HGP) was an international scientific research project that aimed to determine the complete sequence of the nucleotide bases that make up human DNA and all the genes it contains.

It remains the world's largest collaborative biological project. The US government first proposed the idea in 1984. Planning began in 1990, and the project was formally launched in 1990 and declared complete in 2003.

28. The cells which have the capacity to divide and differentiate into any type of cells in the body are the focus of research of several serious diseases. These cells are — [U.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 2006]

Correct Answer: (d) Stem cells
Solution:Stem cells can develop into various cell types and are used in research for potential treatments and medical therapies.

Bud cells: This term is not commonly used in the context of the question. Bud cells are more related to developmental biology or microbiology, where they refer to cells that will eventually form a new organism.

Red cells: Red cells, also known as erythrocytes, are specialized blood cells that carry oxygen. They are not unspecialized cells, so they are not stem cells.

Mesangial cells: Mesangial cells are specialized cells located within the glomerulus of the kidney, where they play a role in glomerular filtration and other kidney functions. They are not stem cells.

29. With reference to 'stem cells,' frequently in the news, which of the following statement(s) is/are correct? [I.A.S. (Pre) 2012]

  1. Stem cells can be derived from mammals only.
  2. Stem cells can be used for screening new drugs.
  3. Stem cells can be used for medical therapies.

Choose the correct answer:

Correct Answer: (b) 2 and 3
Solution:

Stem cells are undifferentiated biological cells that can differentiate into specialized cells and can divide (through mitosis) to produce more stem cells. They are found in multicellular organisms.

In mammals, there are two broad types of stem cells: embryonic stem cells, which are isolated from the inner cell mass of blastocysts, and adult stem cells, which are found in various tissues.

Stem cells are frequently used in various medical therapies (e.g., bone marrow transplantation) and can be used for screening new drugs.

30. With reference to the latest developments in stem cell research, consider the following statements: [I.A.S. (Pre) 2002]

  1. The only source of human stem cells are the embryos at the blastocyst stage.
  2. The stem cells can be derived without causing destruction to blastocysts.
  3. The stem cells can regenerate themselves in vitro virtually forever.
  4. Indian research centres also created a few cell lines which can be developed into many types of tissues.

Which of these statements are correct?

Correct Answer: (d) 3 and 4
Solution:

Based on the cell type/tissue of origin, stem cells are classified as ‘Somatic Stem Cells’ (SSCs) and ‘Embryonic Stem Cells’ (ESCs). SSCs could be obtained from different sources, for example, the fetus, umbilical cord, placenta, infant, child or adult; and from different organs/tissues, while ESCs are derived from pre-implantation embryos (blastocysts).

The derivation of human embryonic stem cells currently requires the destruction of ex utero embryos. The stem cells can regenerate themselves in vitro virtually forever. Indian research centres also created a few cell lines which can be developed into many types of tissues. Thus, only statements 3 and 4 are correct.