Biotechnology and its application

1.Write the two specific ‘cry’ genes that encode the proteins which
control cotton boll worms.
Answer: Cry IAc and cry IIAb control cotton bollworm and cry I Ab
controls corn borer.
2. What are cry genes? In which organisms are they present?
Answer: ‘cry genes’ are genes found in Bacillus thuringiensis, a
bacterium. These genes encode for protein crystals that contain a
toxic insecticidal protein called Bt toxin.
3. Suggest any two possible treatments that can be given to patient
exhibiting adenosine deaminase deficiency. (Delhi 2015)
Or
A boy has been diagnosed with ADA (Adenosine Deaminase)
deficiency. Suggest any one possible treatment.
Answer: a. Bone marrow transplantation.
b. Gene therapy (not permanent cure).
4. Why do children cured by enzyme replacement therapy for
adenosine deaminase deficiency need periodic treatment?
Answer: Children cured by enzyme replacement therapy for
adenosine deaminase deficiency need periodic treatment because
in such type of treatment genetically engineered lymphocytes are
used and these cells are mortal.
5. State the role of C-peptide in human insulin.
Answer: The C-peptide is an extra stretch of the peptides that
connect the A and B-polypeptide chains of insulin in prohormone.
During processing to release mature and functional insulin, this C-
peptide is removed.
6. Write the possible source of RNA interference (RNAi) gene.
Or
State the role of transposons in silencing of mRNA in eukaryotic
cells.
Answer: Mobile genetic elements, i.e. transposons are the possible
source of RNA interference (RNAi) gene which is further involved in
the silencing of the specific mRNA and prevents translation.
7. Name any two techniques that serve the purpose of early
diagnosis of some bacterial/viral human diseases.
Or
Name a molecular diagnostic technique to detect the presence of a
pathogen in its early stage of infection.
Answer: Techniques that serve the purpose of early diagnosis of
some bacterial/viral human diseases are as follows
a. Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR).
b. DNA recombinant technology
c. ELISA
8. Name the source used to produce hepatitis-B vaccine using rDNA
technology.
Answer: The source of hepatitis-B vaccine is yeast. Recombinant
DNA technology has allowed the production of antigenic
polypeptides of pathogen in bacteria or yeast. Vaccines produced
using this approach allow large scale production and hence greater
availability for immunisation.
9. What is gene therapy? Name the first clinical case in which it was
used.
Or
Name the disease that was first to get the gene therapy treatment.
Write the cause of the disease and the effect it has on the patient.
Answer: Gene therapy is a corrective therapy or technique of genetic
engineering that is used to replace a faulty or non-functional gene
with a normal healthy functional gene.
The first clinical gene therapy was given to a 4 year old girl with ADA
(Adenosine Deaminase) deficiency in 1990. It is caused due to the
deletion of the gene coding for ADA, which adversely . affects the
functioning of immune system.
10. Why does Bt toxin not kill the bacterium that produces it, but
kills the insect that ingests it?
Or
Why do the toxic insecticidal proteins secreted by Bacillus
thuringiensis kill the insect and not the bacteria itself?
Answer: Bt toxin does not kill bacteria because in bacteria it exists in
inactive state.
When Bt toxin is ingested by an insect, it gets converted into its
active form due to the alkaline pH of the gut.
The activated toxin binds to the surface of the epithelial cells of the
midgut and creates pores. Water enters through these pores and
causes swelling and lysis of cells in insect body.
11. Explain how Eli Lilly, an American company, produced insulin by
recombinant DNA technology.
Answer: Steps involved in insulin production by Eli Lilly company are
as follows
i. DNA sequences corresponding to the two polypeptide, A
and B-chains of insulin were synthesised in vitro.
ii. They were introduced into plasmid DNA of E. Coli.
iii. This bacterium was cloned under suitable conditions.
iv. The transgene was expressed in the form of polypeptides A
and B, secreted into the medium.
v. They were extracted and combined by creating disulphide
bridge to form human insulin.
12. Human insulin when synthesised in the body needs to be
processed before it can act. Explain giving reasons.
Or
Why is proinsulin so called? How is proinsulin different from
functional insulin in humans?
Answer: Human insulin when initially synthesised in human body
consists of three peptide chains-A, B and C. The C-peptide is an
extra stretch of amino acids joining the A and B-chains. This is
called proinsulin or prohormone. It undergoes processing or splicing
to release the functional mature insulin that can carry out its normal
functions.
During processing, the C-peptide is removed. Only A and B-chains
contribute to form the functional insulin.
13. Write any two ways how genetically modified plants are found to
be useful?
Answer: The genetically modified plants are found to be useful as
they
i. Reduce or minimise the use of agrochemicals, i.e. fertilisers,
insecticides, herbicides, etc.
ii. Reduce post-harvest losses and enhance nutritional value
of crop.
14. What is GMO? List any five possible advantages of a GMO to a
farmer.
Answer: The plants, bacteria, fungi and animals whose
Genes have been altered are called Genetically Modified Organisms
(GMOs).
Genetic modification has done the following changes to the
phenotypic expression of the plants,
i. Crops become more tolerant to abiotic stresses like cold,
drought, salt and heat.
ii. Dependence on chemical pesticides has reduced, i.e. pest-
resistant crops.
iii. Helped to reduce post-harvest losses.
 iv. Efficiency of mineral usage increased in plants, preventing
early exhaustion of fertility of soil.
v. Enhanced nutritional value of food, e.g. vitamin-A enriched
rice.
15. Why is molecular diagnosis preferred over conventional
methods? Name any two techniques giving one use of each.
Answer: Using conventional methods of diagnosis (serum and urine
analysis), early detection of diseases is not possible. To overcome
this problem, some molecular diagnosis techniques were
developed that provide early detection of diseases. These are as
follows
(i) Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) helps in early detection of
diseases or pathogens by the amplification of their nucleic
acid.
PCR can amplify nucleic acids of pathogens even when their
concentration is very low.
This technique can be used for detecting HIV in suspected AIDS
patients, genetic mutations in suspected cancer patients and in
identifying genetic disorders.

(ii) Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) is based on

the principle of antigen-antibody interaction. Infection by
pathogen can be detected by the presence of antigens
(proteins, glycoproteins, etc.) or by detecting the antibodies
synthesised against the pathogen.
16. Mention any four benefits derived from transgenic animals.
Answer: Benefits derived from transgenic animals are as follows
i. They are specially made to serve as models for studying
human diseases.
ii. They produce useful biological products that can be created
by the introduction of a portion of gene, which codes for a
particular product such as human protein, a-1-antitrypsin is
used to treat emphysema.
iii. Transgenic mice are being developed for testing the safety of
vaccine before they are used in humans.
iv. They can be used to study the effects of certain toxic
substances.
17. Mention two objectives of setting up GEAC by our government.
Answer: GEAC is an organisation setup by the Indian government to
make decisions pertaining with genetic research and experiments.
The two objectives of setting up Genetic Engineering Approval
Committee (GEAC) by the Indian Government are
i. To make decisions regarding the validity of GM research.
ii. To make decisions regarding the safety of introducing GM
organisms for public services.
18. Biopiracy should be prevented. State why and how?
Answer: Biopiracy should be prevented because
i. The countries and people concerned are not given adequate
compensatory payment.
ii. The countries/people also lose their right to grow and use
breeding experiments to improve the other varieties of the
same species.
iii. It may be prevented by implementing specific laws that take
into consideration all the bio patents and biopiracy related
issues.