Question
The laws and rules to prevent unauthorised exploitation of bioresources are termed as [NEET (Oct.) 2020]
(a) biopatenting
(b) bioethics
(c) bioengineering
(d) biopiracy
Answer/Explanation
Ans. (b)
Bioethics are sets of laws and rules to prevent unauthorised exploitation of bioresources. Biopiracy is the use of bioresources by multinational companies and other organisations without proper authorisation from the countries and people concerned without compensatory payment. Biopatenting is patent granted on biological products, organisms processes or bioresources.
Bioengineering is the application of the life sciences, physical sciences, mathematics and engineering principles to define and solve problems in biology, medicine, health care and other fields.
Question
Exploitation of bioresources of a nation by multinational companies without authorisation from the concerned country is referred to as [NEET (Odisha) 2019]
(a) bioweapon
(b) biopiracy
(c) bioethics
(d) biowar
Answer/Explanation
Ans. (b)
Exploitation of bioresources of a nation by multinational companies without authorisation from concerned country is referred to as biopiracy. For example, a patent granted in USA covers the entire basmati rice germplasm of our country.
Question
Exploration of molecular, genetic and species level diversity for novel products of economic importance is known as [NEET (Odisha) 2019]
(a) biopiracy
(b) bioenergetics
(c) bioremediation
(d) bioprospecting
Answer/Explanation
Ans. (d)
Exploration of molecular, genetic and species level diversity for novel products of economic importance is known as bioprospecting. Biopiracy refers to illegal use of bioresources. Bioremediation is use of organisms to clean up contamination during waste treatment. Bioenergetics deals with energy metabolism in living organisms.
Question
A new’ variety of rice was patented by a foreign company, though such varieties have been present in India for a long time. This is related to [NEET 2018]
(a) Lerma Rojo
(b) Sharbati Sonora
(c) $\mathrm{Co}-667$
(d) Basmati
Answer/Explanation
Ans. (d)
In 1997, an American company got patent rights on Basmati rice through the US Patent and Trademark office. This ‘new’ variety of Basmati had actually been derived from Indian farmer’s varieties. This ‘new’ variety was produced by crossing Indian Basmati with semi-dwarf varieties. Lerma Rojo and Sharbati Sonora are high yielding varieties of wheat. Co-667 is a variety of soyabean.
Question
Use of bioresources by multinational companies and organisations without authorisation from the concerned country and its people is called [NEET 2018]
(a) biodegradation
(b) biopiracy
(c) bio-infringement
(d) bioexploitation
Answer/Explanation
Ans. (b)
Biopiracy is referred to the use of bioresources by multinational companies and other organisations without proper authorisation from the countries and people concerned without compensatory payment. Bio-infringement is the commission of a prohibited act with respect to a patented invention without permission from the patent holder. Bio-exploitation means taking advantage of biological resources of other country without permission. Biodegradation is biological breakdown of organic material by bacteria, fungi, etc.
Question
Maximum number of existing transgenic animals is of [CBSE AIPMT 2011]
(a) fish
(b) mice
(c) cow
(d) pig
Answer/Explanation
Ans. (b)
Over $95 \%$ of all existing transgenic animals are mice. Animals that have their DNA manipulated to possess and express an extra (foreign) gene are known as transgenic animals, e.g. rats, rabbits, pig, sheep, cows, fish, etc.
Question
Genetic engineering has been successfully used for producing [CBSE AIPMT 2010]
(a) transgenic mice for testing safety of polio vaccine before use in humans
(b) transgenic models for studying new treatments for certain cardiac diseases
(c) transgenic cow-Rosie which produces high fat milk for making ghee
(d) animals like bulls for farm work as they have super power
Answer/Explanation
Ans. (a)
Genetic engineering has been successfully used for producing transgenic mice which are being developed for use in testing the safety of vaccines before they are used on humans. Transgenic mice are being used for testing toxicity of drugs. Transgenic animals are made to carry genes, which make them more sensitive to toxic substances than non-transgenic animals.
They are then exposed to the toxic substances and the effects studied. Toxicity testing in such animals will allow us to obtain results in less time.
Question
An improved variety of transgenic basmati rice [CBSE AIPMT 2010]
(a) does not require chemical fertilisers and growth hormones
(b) gives high yield and is rich in vitamin-A
(c) is completely resistant to all insect pests and diseases of paddy
(d) gives high yield but has no characteristic aroma
Answer/Explanation
Ans. (b)
Golden rice (transgenic basmati rice) is a variety of Oryza sativa produced through genetic engineering to biosynthesise beta-carotene, a precursor of provitamin-A in the edible parts of rice. The research that led to golden rice was conducted with the goal of helping children who suffer from vitamin-A deficiency in poor countries. Golden rice has been bred to be especially disease-resistant, resulting in better crop yields.
Question
Transgenic plants are the ones [CBSE AIPMT 2009]
(a) generated by introducing foreign DNA into a cell and regenerating a plant from that cell
(b) produced after protoplast fusion in artificial medium
(c) grown in artificial medium after hybridisation in the field
(d) produced by a somatic embryo in artificial medium
Answer/Explanation
Ans. (a)
The plants obtained through genetic engineering contain a gene or genes usually from an unrelated organism, such genes are called transgenes and the plants containing transgenes are known as transgenic plants. These plants are often called as genetically modified or GM crops, e.g. Flavr savr tomatoes, golden rice. Plants are made transgenic for identification, expressing the gene activity in time, to produce several chemicals like fatty acids, sugars, cellulose, rubber, etc.
Question
In transgenics, expression of transgene in target tissue is determined by [CBSE AIPMT 2004]
(a) enhancer
(b) transgene
(c) promoter
(d) reporter
Answer/Explanation
Ans. (d)
In transgenics, expression of transgene in target tissue is determined by reporter. Reporter genes or screenable genes are a number of marker genes which are commonly used in plant transformation, e.g. cat, lux, npt II, gus, etc.
Question
The Ti plasmid, is often used for making transgenic plants. This plasmid is found in [CBSE AIPMT 2004]
(a) Azotobacter
(b) Rhizobium of the roots of leguminous plants
(c) Agrobacterium
(d) Yeast as a $2 \mu \mathrm{m}$ plasmid
Answer/Explanation
Ans. (c)
A segment (T-DNA) of tumour-inducing plasmid $\left(T_1\right)$ can be transformed from the bacterium Agrobacterium to plant cells at a wound site. This Ti-plasmid is often for developing transgenic plants.
Question
Producing a giant mouse in the laboratory was possible through [CBSE AIPMT 2000]
(a) gene mutation
(b) gene manipulation
(c) gene synthesis
(d) gene duplication
Answer/Explanation
Ans. (b)
Transgenic mice (of much larger size than the normal) have been produced in the laboratory by gene manipulation (transfer of genes to fertilised eggs as well as to stem cells).
Question
The first successfully cloned mammals (animal) that gained worldwide publicity was [CBSE AIPMT 2000]
(a) Molly (a sheep)
(b) Polly (a sheep)
(c) Chance (a bull)
(d) Dolly (a sheep)
Answer/Explanation
Ans. (d)
Dolly (a sheep) was the first successfully cloned mammal that gained worldwide publicity.
Question
The transgenic animals are those which have [CBSE AIPMT 1995]
(a) foreign DNA in some of its cells
(b) foreign DNA in all its cells
(c) foreign RNA in all its cells
(d) DNA and RNA both in the cells
Answer/Explanation
Ans. (b)
Transgenic animals have foreign DNA in all its cells. The animals which carry foreign genes are called transgenic animals. The foreign genes are inserted into the genome of animals using recombinant DNA technology or gene manipulation.