(1.

) Assertion: Lepidopterans die when they feed on Bt cotton plant

Reason: Bt cotton plants are transgenic plants. [Page: 208]
(a.) Both Assertion and Reason are true and Reason is correct explanation of Assertion.
(b.) Both Assertion and Reason are true, but Reason is not the correct explanation of
Assertion.
(c.) Assertion is true, but Reason is false.
(d.) Assertion is false, but Reason is true.

(2.) Assertion: RNAi technique helps to prevent the infestation of roots in tobacco plants
by Meloidogyne incognita.
Reason: RNAi takes place in all eukaryotic organisms as a method of cellular
defence. [Page: 209]
(a.) Both Assertion and Reason are true and Reason is correct explanation of Assertion.
(b.) Both Assertion and Reason are true, but Reason is not the correct explanation of
Assertion.
(c.) Assertion is true, but Reason is false.
(d.) Assertion is false, but Reason is true.

(3.) Assertion: Green Revolution was not enough to feed the growing human population.
Reason: Green Revolution succeeded in tripling the food supply. [Page: 208]
(a.) Both Assertion and Reason are true and Reason is correct explanation of Assertion.
(b.) Both Assertion and Reason are true, but Reason is not the correct explanation of
Assertion.
(c.) Assertion is true, but Reason is false.
(d.) Assertion is false, but Reason is true.

(4.) Assertion: Insulin isolated from other animals is as effective as the insulin secreted
by human body.
Reason: It does not elicit an immune response in the human body. [Page: 211]
(a.) Both Assertion and Reason are true and Reason is correct explanation of Assertion.
(b.) Both Assertion and Reason are true, but Reason is not the correct explanation of
Assertion.
(c.) Assertion is true, but Reason is false.
(d.) Assertion is false, but Reason is true.

(5.) Assertion: Insulin can be administered orally to diabetic people.

Reason: Insulin is a steroid hormone. [Page: 211]
(a.) Both Assertion and Reason are true and Reason is correct explanation of Assertion.
(b.) Both Assertion and Reason are true, but Reason is not the correct explanation of
Assertion.
(c.) Assertion is true, but Reason is false.
(d.) Assertion is false, but Reason is true.
 (6.) Assertion: Human insulin can be produced into bacterial cells using biotechnology
Reason: In humans, insulin is synthesized as prohormone. [Page: 211]
(a.) Both Assertion and Reason are true and Reason is correct explanation of Assertion.
(b.) Both Assertion and Reason are true, but Reason is not the correct explanation of
Assertion.
(c.) Assertion is true, but Reason is false.
(d.) Assertion is false, but Reason is true.

(7.) Assertion: Gene therapy helps in correction of hereditary disease.

Reason: ADA deficiency disease was cured using gene therapy. [Page: 211]
(a.) Both Assertion and Reason are true and Reason is correct explanation of Assertion.
(b.) Both Assertion and Reason are true, but Reason is not the correct explanation of
Assertion.
(c.) Assertion is true, but Reason is false.
(d.) Assertion is false, but Reason is true.

(8.) Assertion: Recombinant DNA technology helps in detecting the presence of mutant
gene in cancer patients.
Reason: Cancer is uncontrolled division of a normal cell. [Page: 212]
(a.) Both Assertion and Reason are true and Reason is correct explanation of Assertion.
(b.) Both Assertion and Reason are true, but Reason is not the correct explanation of
Assertion.
(c.) Assertion is true, but Reason is false.
(d.) Assertion is false, but Reason is true.

(9.) Assertion: Transgenic animals are widely produced all over the world.
Reason: These animals are beneficial for human welfare. [Page: 212]
(a.) Both Assertion and Reason are true and Reason is correct explanation of Assertion.
(b.) Both Assertion and Reason are true, but Reason is not the correct explanation of
Assertion.
(c.) Assertion is true, but Reason is false.
(d.) Assertion is false, but Reason is true.

(10.) Assertion: Monkey were used to test safety of polio vaccine.

Reason: Transgenic mice cannot be used to test safety of polio vaccine. [Page: 212]
(a.) Both Assertion and Reason are true and Reason is correct explanation of Assertion.
(b.) Both Assertion and Reason are true, but Reason is not the correct explanation of
Assertion.
(c.) Assertion is true, but Reason is false.
(d.) Assertion is false, but Reason is true.

(11.) Assertion The manipulation of living organisms by human should be regulated.

 Reason: Some ethical standards are required to evaluate the morality of all human
activities. [Page: 214]
(a.) Both Assertion and Reason are true and Reason is correct explanation of Assertion.
(b.) Both Assertion and Reason are true, but Reason is not the correct explanation of
Assertion.
(c.) Assertion is true, but Reason is false.
(d.) Assertion is false, but Reason is true.

(12.) Assertion: Laws against biopiracy are being developed in some nations. Reasons:
These laws prevent unauthorized exploitation of bioresources and traditional
knowledge of these nations.
(a.) Both Assertion and Reason are true and Reason is correct explanation of Assertion.
(b.) Both Assertion and Reason are true, but Reason is not the correct explanation of
Assertion.
(c.) Assertion is true, but Reason is false.
(d.) Assertion is false, but Reason is true Miscellaneous Questions of the Chapter
 ANSWER
(1.) b (2.) b (3.) b
(4.) d (5.) d (6.) b
(7.) a (8.) b (9.) a
(10.) c (11.) b (12.) a
 EXPLANATION
(1.) (b) Bt cotton plants are transgenic plants that express a Bacillus thuringiensis gene
called cry gene. This gene encodes for protein crystals having insecticidal properties against
insects of group lepidoptera, diptera and coleoptera. Inside the bacterium, these proteins
remain inactive and do not harm the bacteria. However, these inactive crystals can get
activated in the alkaline pH of the gut of insects upon ingestion. After activation, these
crystals can bind to the receptors present on the membranes of gut epithelial cells. Due to this
binding, the membrane swells and pores are created on them. These pores lead to bursting of
cell. Hence, soon lepidopterans die due to starvation.
(2.) (b) A nematode Meloidogyne incognita infects the root of tobacco plants, which
reduces the production of tobacco. The strategy adopted to prevent this infection is based on
the process of RNA interference (RNAi). RNAi takes place in all eukaryotic organisms as a
method of cellular defence. This method involves silencing of a specific mRNA due to
complementary dsRNA molecule that binds to and prevents translation of mRNA.
(3.) (b) The Green Revolution succeeded in tripling the food supply but yet it was not
enough to feed the growing human population. Increased yields have partly been due to the
use of improved crop varieties and use of fertilizers and pesticides. However, for farmers
these agrochemicals are too expensive and further increase in yield with existing varieties are
not possible using conventional breeding.
(4.) (d) No, the insulin that is isolated from other animals such as from cows (bovine) and
from pig (porcine) is not as effective as that which is secreted from the human body. As the
earlier insulin bovine and porcine are antigenic and they elicit immune response also. It is
because they possess a slightly different structure as that of human insulin. So in order to
overcome these immune responses and antigenic property that arise from animal insulin,
human insulin was synthesized by using the recombinant DNA technology.
(5.) (d) The hormone insulin is made up of proteins that if taken by mouth or
administered orally would get denatured by the digestive process. This would inactivate the
insulin. Therefore, when the body can’t make insulin, It cannot be taken in pill form (orally)
and must be injected.
(6.) (b) Transgenic bacteria have been produced that translate the constituting polypeptide
chains of human insulin. These polypeptides can be extracted from bacterial cells and
combined by creating disulphide bonds to produce human insulin. Human insulin when
initially synthesized 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 chain contribute to form the functional insulin.
(7.) (a) Hereditary disease can be corrected by gene therapy. It is a collection of methods
that allows correction or replacement of defective genes. The first gene therapy was given in
1990 to a 4-year-old girl with adenosine deaminase (ADA) deficiency. It is caused due to the
deletion of gene for adenosine deamine.
(8.) (b) A single stranded DNA or RNA tagged with a radioactive molecule (probe) is
allowed to hybridize with its complementary DNA in a clone of cells followed by detection
using autoradiography. The clone having the mutated gene will not appear on photographic
film, because probe will not be complementary with mutated gene thus, helpful in detecting
the presence of mutated gene in cancer patients.
(9.) (a) Transgenic animals are useful as disease models and producers of substances for
human welfare. They are produced all over the world. Some transgenic animals are produced
for specific economic traits, for example, transgenic cow was created to produce milk
containing particular human proteins.
(10.) (c) Transgenic mice are being used to treat the safety of the polio vaccine. If
successful and found reliable they could replace the use of monkeys to test safety of batches
of vaccines.
(11.) (b) The manipulation of living organisms by human should be regulated by
introducing some ethical standards. This is because genetic modification of organisms can
have unpredictable results when such organisms are introduced into the ecosystem.
(12.) (a) Law against biopiracy are being developed in some nations to prevent any
unauthorized exploitation of bioresources and traditional knowledge of these nations.
Miscellaneous Questions