Biotechnology and its Applications - Practice Questions with Answers

Q1.

DNA fingerprinting is based on:

• A The complete genome-wide DNA sequence read out in full by Sanger sequencing
• B Unique Variable Number Tandem Repeats (VNTR/STR) patterns
• C Blood type determined by surface antigens present on red blood cells
• D Protein analysis of serum samples separated by isoelectric focusing

Q2.

Cloning produces organisms that are:

• A Genetically diverse, like offspring from sexual reproduction
• B Genetically identical to the original
• C Roughly half the size of the original organism
• D Generally infertile, unlike sexually produced offspring

Q3.

Gene therapy involves:

• A Treating disease by correcting a faulty gene
• B Creating entirely new organisms from synthetic genomes
• C Delivering small-molecule drugs through nanoparticles
• D Producing monoclonal antibodies in hybridoma cells

Q4.

A transgenic organism is one that has:

• A Genes that mutated spontaneously without intervention
• B Foreign DNA from another species inserted into its genome
• C An unusually large genome compared to its relatives
• D No detectable genetic material in its cells

Q5.

Bioremediation refers to:

• A Deliberately creating antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria
• B Using organisms to clean up polluted environments
• C Gene therapy applied specifically to crop and plant species
• D In vitro fertilization performed in a laboratory dish

Q6.

The Human Genome Project aimed to:

• A Engineer transgenic humans with edited genomes
• B Map and sequence the entire human genome
• C Produce antibiotics from soil microorganisms
• D Develop vaccines against emerging viral diseases

Q7.

The bacterium used to obtain the Bt toxin gene is:

• A Bacillus thuringiensis
• B Escherichia coli
• C Rhizobium leguminosarum
• D Agrobacterium tumefaciens

Q8.

Bt cotton is genetically modified to resist:

• A insect pests
• B the fungal rot
• C severe drought
• D heavy rainfall

Q9.

In "GM crops", the letters GM stand for genetically:

• A modified
• B managed
• C measured
• D mineralised

Q10.

The first recombinant human protein produced for medical use was:

• A insulin
• B adrenaline
• C thyroxine
• D testosterone

Q11.

Genetically engineered human insulin is marketed under the name:

• A humulin
• B insunova
• C glucowin
• D sugarfix

Q12.

Genetically modified crops carrying a foreign gene are also called ___ crops:

• A transgenic
• B only organic
• C simple hybrid
• D plain wild-type

Q13.

The technique of correcting a defective gene in a person is called gene:

• A therapy
• B copying
• C cutting
• D staining

Q14.

Golden rice is genetically engineered to be rich in:

• A vitamin A
• B vitamin C
• C only iron
• D plain water

Q15.

Organisms that contain and express a foreign gene are called:

• A transgenic organisms
• B wild organisms
• C normal organisms
• D extinct organisms

Q16.

The "molecular scissors" used to cut DNA at specific sites are ___ enzymes:

• A restriction
• B digestive
• C salivary
• D breathing

Q17.

Human insulin produced by bacteria is used to treat:

• A diabetes
• B malaria
• C typhoid
• D jaundice

Q18.

A GMO is a genetically modified:

• A organism
• B mineral
• C molecule
• D machine

Q19.

The technique that amplifies tiny amounts of DNA for diagnosis is the polymerase chain:

• A reaction
• B reagent
• C reactor
• D reader

Q20.

Bt toxin protects the plant by killing certain:

• A insects
• B floods
• C sunlight
• D the cold

Q21.

RNA interference (RNAi) works by:

• A Increasing the rate of transcription occurring at a specifically targeted gene promoter
• B Small interfering RNA (siRNA) binding to mRNA and causing its degradation, silencing a gene
• C Adding methyl groups directly onto cytosine bases located within genomic DNA
• D Permanently and irreversibly blocking ribosomes from translating any mRNA transcript at all

Q22.

Bioinformatics involves:

• A Growing bacterial cultures under carefully controlled sterile laboratory conditions
• B Using computers to analyze biological data (sequences, structures, genomes)
• C Producing biofuels mainly from fermented plant biomass and waste material
• D Producing transgenic organisms through direct gene insertion techniques

Q23.

Pharmacogenomics aims to:

• A Produce cheaper generic drugs through mass synthesis
• B Tailor drug treatment based on individual genetic makeup
• C Discover new soil microorganisms for novel antibiotic production
• D Create transgenic animals engineered to secrete therapeutic drugs

Q24.

Which term describes bacteria that have taken up foreign DNA through their cell membrane?

• A Transgenic
• B Recombinant
• C Transformed
• D Transfected

Q25.

Flow cytometry is used to:

• A Determine the exact nucleotide sequence of isolated DNA fragments
• B Sort and analyze individual cells by size, shape, and fluorescence markers
• C Generate cloned organisms through somatic cell nuclear transfer methods
• D Amplify target DNA sequences through repeated thermal cycling steps

Q26.

Stem cells are used in regenerative medicine because they:

• A Cannot divide further once isolated from the original donor tissue
• B Can divide and differentiate into many cell types to repair tissues
• C Are restricted mainly to producing red blood cell lineages alone
• D Generally transform into cancerous cells over an extended time

Q27.

GMO safety assessment includes testing for:

• A Color changes observed mainly in the harvested crop over time
• B Toxicity, allergenicity, nutritional changes, and environmental effects
• C Taste differences perceived mainly by trained consumer taste panels
• D Crop yield improvements measured mainly across several growing seasons

Q28.

The insect-resistance gene used in Bt crops comes from the bacterium:

• A Agrobacterium tumefaciens
• B Bacillus thuringiensis
• C Escherichia coli
• D Rhizobium leguminosarum

Q29.

The insecticidal crystal protein of Bacillus thuringiensis is coded by the gene named:

• A cry
• B only bt
• C res
• D the gm

Q30.

In the bacterium, the Bt toxin is present in an inactive form called a:

• A protoxin
• B antibody
• C antigen
• D vitamin

Q31.

The Bt protoxin is activated in the insect gut because of its ___ pH:

• A alkaline
• B acidic
• C neutral
• D only salty

Q32.

RNA interference (RNAi) has been used to make tobacco resistant to:

• A nematodes
• B sunlight
• C rainfall
• D coldness

Q33.

In RNA interference, gene silencing is triggered by ___ RNA:

• A double-stranded
• B single circular
• C free floating
• D plain messenger

Q34.

Human insulin is made of two short polypeptide chains named:

• A A and B
• B X and Y
• C P and Q
• D M and N

Q35.

In the body, insulin is first synthesised as a longer inactive molecule called:

• A proinsulin
• B an antibody
• C a hormonelet
• D a vitamin

Q36.

The extra stretch removed to convert proinsulin into mature insulin is the ___ peptide:

• A C
• B D
• C E
• D F

Q37.

Gene therapy was first used in 1990 to treat a girl suffering from ___ deficiency:

• A ADA
• B ATP
• C DNA
• D RNA

Q38.

ADA (adenosine deaminase) deficiency causes a disorder of the ___ system:

• A immune
• B nervous
• C digestive
• D muscular

Q39.

Detecting very small numbers of a pathogen early is possible using:

• A PCR
• B an X-ray
• C a biopsy
• D an autopsy

Q40.

The diagnostic technique based on antigen–antibody interaction is:

• A ELISA
• B only PCR
• C an X-ray scan
• D a plain biopsy

Q41.

Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) were created by:

• A Transferring the nucleus of an adult somatic cell into a previously enucleated egg cell directly under typical conditions
• B Yamanaka reprogramming: introducing Oct4, Sox2, Klf4, c-Myc into adult somatic cells to revert them to pluripotent state
• C Cloning entire embryos through the technique of somatic cell nuclear transfer repeatedly according to standard textbooks
• D Treating isolated embryonic cells with a precisely defined cocktail of small-molecule chemicals instead in general practice

Q42.

SCID-ADA gene therapy (first human gene therapy in 1990) treated:

• A Cystic fibrosis, a disease which is caused by a defective CFTR chloride channel gene on chromosome 7 specifically
• B Adenosine deaminase deficiency (causing severe combined immunodeficiency) by introducing functional ADA gene into T cells
• C Hemophilia A, a disease which is caused by a deficiency of blood clotting factor VIII in blood plasma specifically
• D Sickle cell disease, a condition which is caused by a single point mutation in the beta-globin gene specifically

Q43.

Protein engineering using directed evolution involves:

• A Designing proteins largely through computer-based modeling, without much laboratory selection step involved according to standard textbooks
• B Iterative cycles of random mutagenesis (or recombination) and selection for improved function (Nobel Prize 2018, Frances Arnold)
• C Mainly rational, structure-based protein design guided largely by known crystal structures available in general practice as frequently described
• D Production efforts limited mainly to generating therapeutic monoclonal antibody molecules specifically in most textbook accounts

Q44.

Organoids in biotechnology are:

• A Simple single-cell cultures that are grown as a flat monolayer spread evenly across a culture dish surface area under most conditions encountered
• B 3D mini-organs self-organized from stem cells that recapitulate tissue architecture and function (used for disease modeling and drug testing)
• C Thin tissue slices that are cut directly from a freshly removed surgical organ specimen in the operating room itself as frequently observed in practice
• D Structures that are reported to mainly be grown and studied within the body of a living animal host generally in many documented cases according to conventional understanding

Q45.

Synthetic biology involves:

• A Mainly the routine cloning and propagation of naturally occurring genes from existing organisms generally in routine practice overall
• B Designing and constructing new biological parts, devices, and systems not found in nature (BioBricks, synthetic genomes, minimal cells)
• C Applications that are restricted mainly to agricultural crop improvement and pest resistance generally in most cases under typical conditions
• D Applications that are restricted mainly to human medical therapeutics and diagnostics largely alone according to standard textbooks

Q46.

In making nematode-resistant tobacco by RNA interference, gene silencing is triggered by:

• A single-stranded DNA
• B a plasmid vector
• C a restriction enzyme
• D double-stranded RNA

Q47.

The Cry proteins encoded by cryIAc and cryIIAb genes control the:

• A cotton bollworms
• B plain houseflies
• C only earthworms
• D some honeybees

Q48.

The Bt gene cryIAb produces a protein that controls the:

• A corn borer
• B cotton aphid
• C the wheat rust
• D the rice blast

Q49.

Meloidogyne incognita, controlled by RNAi in tobacco, is a:

• A nematode
• B fungus
• C bacterium
• D only a virus

Q50.

In RNAi, the silencing RNA is complementary to the pest’s ___ RNA:

• A messenger
• B transfer
• C ribosomal
• D plain viral

Q51.

The vector used to deliver the RNAi construct into tobacco was:

• A Agrobacterium
• B a plain plasmid
• C only a virus
• D a bacteriophage

Q52.

Recombinant insulin was the first such product approved for:

• A human use
• B plant use
• C animal feed
• D only soil use

Q53.

The main challenge in producing insulin in bacteria was assembling the chains into a:

• A mature hormone
• B simple sugar
• C plain fat drop
• D long starch

Q54.

Gene therapy for ADA deficiency using lymphocytes is not permanent because the cells are:

• A not immortal
• B fully immortal
• C always dividing
• D never dividing

Q55.

A permanent cure for ADA deficiency may come from inserting the gene into:

• A bone-marrow cells
• B plain skin cells
• C only nerve cells
• D some muscle cells

Q56.

The use of bio-resources by nations or companies without proper authorisation is called:

• A biopiracy
• B bioethics
• C biosafety
• D bioreactor

Q57.

A well-known biopiracy case involved a US patent on an Indian variety of:

• A basmati rice
• B plain barley
• C only white oats
• D some field maize

Q58.

Transgenic animals are produced so that they carry and express a ___ gene:

• A foreign
• B native
• C absent
• D broken

Q59.

Rosie, the first transgenic cow, produced milk enriched with human:

• A alpha-lactalbumin
• B plain lactose
• C only fat drops
• D some milk sugar

Q60.

Ethical issues of genetic modification are examined under the field called:

• A bioethics
• B biopiracy
• C biosafety
• D bioreactor