Science & Technology › Biotechnology & Genetics – UPSC Prelims PYQs

Which of the following statements with regard to genetic medicine is/are correct ?

1. Genetic medicines correct/compensate for the faulty genes responsible for disease.
2. Engineered viruses and lipid nanoparticles are used as carriers of the genetic medicine.
3. Genetic medicines alter the entire DNA sequence.

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Which of the following statements with regard to GenomeIndia Project is/are correct ?

1. It is a part of the Human Genome Project.
2. The project is funded by the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Government of India.
3. Its primary aim is to build a catalogue of genetic diversity of the Indian population.

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With reference to monoclonal antibodies, often mentioned in news, consider the following statements : I. They are man-made proteins. II. They stimulate immunological function due to their ability to bind to specific antigens. III. They are used in treating viral infections like that of Nipah virus.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

"Membrane Bioreactors" are often discussed in the context of :

‘Aerial metagenomics’ best refers to which one of the following situations?

‘Microsatellite DNA’ is used in the case of which one of the following?

Consider the following statements : DNA Barcoding can be a tool to :

1. assess the age of a plant or animal.
2. distinguish among species that look alike.
3. identify undesirable animal or plant materials in processed foods.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?

With reference to recent developments regarding 'Recombinant Vector Vaccines', consider the following statements :

1. Genetic engineering is applied in the development of these vaccines.
2. Bacteria and viruses are used as vectors.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

In the context of hereditary diseases, consider the following statements :

1. Passing on mitochondrial diseases from parent to child can be prevented by mitochondrial replacement therapy either before or after in vitro fertilization of egg.
2. A child inherits mitochondrial diseases entirely from mother and not from father.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Bollgard I and Bollgard II technologies are mentioned in the context of

In the context of recent advances in human reproductive technology, “Pronuclear Transfer” is used for

Consider the following statements :

1. Genetic changes can be introduced in the cells that produce eggs or sperms of a prospective parent.
2. A person’s genome can be edited before birth at the early embryonic stage.
3. Human induced pluripotent stem cells can be injected into the embryo of a pig.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?

With reference to the recent developments in science, which one of the following statements is not correct?

‘RNA interference (RNAi)’ technology has gained popularity in the last few years. Why?

1. It is used in developing gene silencing therapies.
2. It can be used in developing therapies for the treatment of cancer.
3. It can be used to develop hormone replacement therapies.
4. It can be used to produce crop plants that are resistant to viral pathogens.

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What is Cas9 protein that is often mentioned in news?

With reference to the Genetically Modified mustard (GM mustard) developed in India, consider the following statements : 1. pest-resistance to a wide variety of pests. 2. 3.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?

With reference to agriculture in India, how can the technique of 'genome sequencing', often seen in the news, be used in the immediate future ?

1. Genome sequencing can be used to identify genetic markers for disease resistance and drought tolerance in various crop plants.
2. This technique helps in reducing the time required to develop new varieties of crop plants.
3. It can be used to decipher the host-pathogen relationships in crops.

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What is the application of Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer Technology ?

In the context of the developments in Bioinformatics, the term 'transcriptome', sometimes seen in the news, refers to

With reference to bio-toilets used by the Indian Railways, consider the following statements :

1. The decomposition of human waste in the bio-toilets is initiated by a fungal inoculum.
2. Ammonia and water vapour are the only end products in this decomposition which are released into the atmosphere.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Which of the following statements is/are correct regarding vegetative propagation of plants?

1. Vegetative propagation produces clonal population.
2. Vegetative propagation helps in eliminating the virus.
3. Vegetative propagation can be practiced most of the year.

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Consider the following techniques/phenomena :

1. Budding and grafting in fruit plants
2. Cytoplasmic male sterility
3. Gene silencing

Which of the above is/are used to create transgenic crops?

Recombinant DNA technology (Genetic Engineering) allows genes to be transferred

1. Across different species of plants
2. From animals to plants
3. From microorganisms to higher organisms

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With reference to 'stem cells', frequently in the news, which of the following statements is/are correct?

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.

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What are the reasons for the people's resistance to the introduction of Bt brinjal in India?

1. Bt brinjal has been created by inserting a gene from a soil fungus into its genome.
2. The seeds of Bt brinjal are terminator seeds and therefore, the farmers have to buy the seeds before every season from the seed companies.
3. There is an apprehension that the consumption of Bt brinjal may have adverse impact on health.
4. There is some concern that the introduction of Bt brinjal may have adverse effect on the biodiversity.

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Other than resistance to pests, what are the prospects for which genetically engineered plants have been created?

1. To enable them to withstand drought
2. To increase the nutritive value of the produce
3. To enable them to grow and do photosynthesis in spaceships and space stations
4. To increase their shelf life

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At present, scientists can determine the arrangement or relative positions of genes or DNA sequences on a chromosome. How does this knowledge benefit us?

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?

A genetically engineered form of brinjal, known as the Bt-brinjal, has been developed. The objective of this is

Recently, ‘oilzapper’ was in the news. What is it?

A married couple adopted a male child. A few years later twin boys were born to them. The blood group of the couple is AB positive and O negative. The blood group of the three sons is A positive, B positive, and O positive. The blood group of the adopted son is

Mon 863 is a variety of maize. It was in the news for the following reason

Genetically modified “golden rice” has been engineered to meet human nutritional requirements.

Which one of the following statements best qualifies golden rice?

Which bacterial strain, developed from natural isolates by genetic manipulations, can be used for treating oil spills ?

Which feature of some species of blue-green algae helps promote them as bio-fertilizers ?

In the context of genetic disorders, consider the following: A woman suffers from colour blindness while her husband does not suffer from it. They have a son and a daughter. In this context, which one of the following statements is most probably correct ?

With reference to the latest developments in stem-cell research, consider the following statements:

1. The only source of human stem cells are the embryos at 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?

When one gene controls two or more different characters simultaneously, the phenomenon is called

Assertion (A): Scientists can cut apart and paste together DNA molecules at will, regardless of the source of the molecules.

Reason (R): DNA fragments can be manipulated using restriction endonucleases and DNA ligases.

Which of the following is correct?

Which of the following features of DNA makes it uniquely suited to store and transmit genetic information from generation to generation?

The American multinational company, Monsanto has produced an insect-resistant cotton variety that is undergoing field-trials in India. A toxin gene from which ONE of the following bacteria has been transferred to this transgenic cotton?

Which one of the following organisms can serve as a biofertilizer for rice crop?

Phytotron is a facility to

Insect resistant cotton plants have been genetically engineered by inserting a gene from a/an

Hybridoma technology is a new biotechnological approach for commercial production of

Canola refers to special type of oil seed mustard varieties bred for human consumption. The main characteristic of these varieties is that the

Assertion (A): In human beings, the females play a major role in determining the sex of the offspring.

Reason (R): Women have two ‘X’ chromosomes.

Assertion (A): “DNA Finger-printing” has become a powerful tool to establish paternity and identity of criminals in rape and assault cases.

Reason (R): Trace evidences such as hairs, saliva and dried semen are adequate for DNA analysis.

Indian farmers are unhappy over the introduction of “Terminator Seed Technology” because the seeds produced by this technology are expected to

Which one of the following genetic diseases is sex-linked?

Assertion (A): Insect-resistant transgenic cotton has been produced by inserting Bt gene.

Reason (R): The Bt gene is derived from a bacterium.