Biotechnology and Its Applications

35 solved questions from Class 12 Biology, each with the full working. Tap any question to see the step-by-step solution.

• 1 What is the primary topic or theoretical principle explored in 'Biotechnology and Its Applications' (Class 12 BIOLOGY)? medium MCQ Chapter Core Principle
• 2 Which key mechanism or analytical rule is highlighted in 'Biotechnology and Its Applications'? medium MCQ Key Analytical Mechanism
• 3 What is the primary topic or principle explained in 'Biotechnology and Its Applications' (Class 12 Biology)? medium MCQ Chapter Core Concept
• 4 Which key observation or fact is central to understanding 'Biotechnology and Its Applications'? medium MCQ Key Fact & Mechanism
• 5 Why is the study of 'Biotechnology and Its Applications' important for students of Class 12? medium MCQ Learning Significance
• 6 What is a common application or real-world example related to 'Biotechnology and Its Applications'? medium MCQ Real World Application
• 7 What key takeaway should students retain after completing 'Biotechnology and Its Applications'? medium MCQ Chapter Summary & Takeaway
• 8 Describe in detail the procedure to develop a transgenic rice variety that is resistant to the brown planthopper, covering vector choice, gene insertion method, selectable marker, and evaluation of resistance. hard 5 marks Creation of transgenic pest‑resistant rice
• 9 A plasmid of size 5 kilobase pairs (kb) exists in a bacterial cell at a copy number of 50 per cell. Given that the length of one base pair of DNA is 0.34 nanometre (nm), calculate the total length of plasmid DNA present in a single cell in micrometres (µm). hard 2 marks DNA length calculation from base pair count
• 10 Which of the following correctly lists the three main steps of a Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) in the order they occur? easy MCQ 1 mark PCR cycle steps
• 11 Briefly explain how human insulin is produced using recombinant DNA technology, mentioning the host organism and the steps involved. medium 3 marks Recombinant insulin production
• 12 Compare the CRISPR‑Cas9 system with Zinc‑Finger Nucleases (ZFNs) and Transcription Activator‑Like Effector Nucleases (TALENs) in terms of (i) mechanism of target recognition, (ii) ease of design, (iii) efficiency, and (iv) off‑target effects. Which system is most suitable for large‑scale crop improvement and why? hard 5 marks CRISPR vs ZFN/TALEN in crop editing
• 13 Outline the key steps involved in producing a monoclonal antibody against human interleukin‑2 (IL‑2) using hybridoma technology. List the procedures from immunization to screening. medium 3 marks Hybridoma monoclonal antibody production
• 14 A plasmid of size 8 kb (kilobase pairs) is present in a bacterial cell at a copy number of 200 per cell. If the length of one base pair is 0.34 nm, calculate the total length of plasmid DNA present in a single cell in micrometres. easy 1 mark Plasmid DNA length calculation
• 15 Which DNA polymerase is most commonly employed in the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) due to its ability to remain active after repeated high‑temperature denaturation steps? easy MCQ 1 mark Heat‑stable DNA polymerase for PCR
• 16 Briefly describe the principle of DNA fingerprinting using Variable Number Tandem Repeats (VNTRs) and how it can be applied to establish identity between individuals. medium 2 marks DNA fingerprinting using VNTRs
• 17 A recombinant plasmid of 9 kb is isolated from *E. coli* culture. The purified plasmid DNA has a concentration of 150 µg ml⁻¹. How many copies of the plasmid are present in one millilitre of this preparation? (Use 1 bp = 660 Da and Avogadro's number = 6.022 × 10²³ mol⁻¹.) medium 3 marks Calculating plasmid copy number from DNA concentration
• 18 Design a transgenic tomato plant that expresses the *Bacillus thuringiensis* (Bt) Cry1Ac protein to confer resistance against the tomato fruit borer. Discuss (i) the choice of vector and promoter, (ii) the method of gene insertion, (iii) the selectable marker, (iv) the regeneration protocol for obtaining transgenic plants, and (v) the key biosafety considerations that must be addressed before commercial release. hard 5 marks Development of transgenic crop for pest resistance
• 19 Explain how Variable Number Tandem Repeat (VNTR) analysis is used for DNA fingerprinting and give an example of a situation where it is applied. medium 2 marks DNA fingerprinting with VNTRs
• 20 A plasmid of 7 kb is present in a bacterial cell at a copy number of 120 per cell. Each base pair of DNA has a length of 0.34 nm. Calculate the total length of plasmid DNA present in a single cell in micrometres (µm). easy 1 mark Plasmid length calculation
• 21 Which DNA polymerase is most commonly employed in PCR due to its ability to remain active after repeated high‑temperature denaturation steps? easy MCQ 1 mark PCR polymerase selection
• 22 Design a transgenic maize plant that expresses the *Bacillus thuringiensis* (Bt) Cry1Ab protein to confer resistance against the European corn borer. Discuss (i) choice of vector and promoter, (ii) method of gene insertion, (iii) selectable marker, (iv) regeneration protocol for obtaining transgenic plants, and (v) key biosafety considerations before commercial release. hard 5 marks Transgenic crop development
• 23 State the purpose of a selectable marker gene in plant genetic engineering and give one commonly used selectable marker. easy 1 mark Selectable marker in plant transformation
• 24 Which of the following statements about off‑target effects of CRISPR‑Cas9 compared with Zinc‑Finger Nucleases (ZFNs) is correct? medium MCQ 1 mark Off‑target effects of genome‑editing tools
• 25 Design a transgenic rice cultivar that expresses the bacterial‑blight‑resistance gene Xa21. Discuss (i) the suitable vector and its key features, (ii) promoter choice for strong expression in rice, (iii) method of gene insertion, (iv) selectable marker gene, (v) regeneration protocol to obtain whole plants, and (vi) biosafety measures required before field release. hard 5 marks Designing transgenic rice for disease resistance
• 26 A plasmid of 6.5 kb is isolated and its concentration is 250 µg ml⁻¹. Calculate the number of plasmid copies present in 2 ml of this preparation. (Use 1 bp = 660 Da and Avogadro's number = 6.022 × 10²³ mol⁻¹.) medium 2 marks Calculating plasmid copy number from DNA mass
• 27 Design a transgenic banana plant that expresses the *Bacillus thuringiensis* (Bt) Cry1C protein to confer resistance against the banana weevil (*Cosmopolites sordidus*). Discuss (i) the suitable binary vector and its key features, (ii) a promoter that ensures strong expression in banana fruit and pseudostem, (iii) the method of gene insertion, (iv) a selectable marker gene, (v) the tissue‑culture regeneration protocol to obtain whole plants, and (vi) the major biosafety measures that must be addressed before commercial release. hard 5 marks Transgenic crop development (banana)
• 28 A plasmid of size 8 kb is isolated and its concentration is 200 µg ml⁻¹. Calculate the number of plasmid copies present in 1.5 ml of this preparation. (Use 1 bp = 660 Da and Avogadro's number = 6.022 × 10²³ mol⁻¹.) medium 3 marks Plasmid copy‑number calculation
• 29 Which DNA polymerase is most commonly employed in the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) because it remains active after repeated cycles of high‑temperature denaturation? easy MCQ 1 mark PCR enzyme selection
• 30 State the purpose of a selectable marker gene in plant genetic engineering and give one commonly used selectable marker. medium 2 marks Selectable marker function
• 31 Which promoter would most likely give the highest level of transgene expression in both tomato fruit and the pseudostem? hard MCQ 4 marks Promoter selection for tissue‑specific expression
• 32 A plasmid of 5 kb is present in a bacterial cell at a copy number of 70 per cell. Each base pair of DNA has a length of 0.34 nm. Calculate the total length of plasmid DNA present in a single cell in micrometres (µm). hard 4 marks Calculating plasmid DNA length
• 33 A plasmid of 12 kb is isolated and its concentration is 300 µg ml⁻¹. How many plasmid copies are present in 2 ml of this preparation? (Use 1 bp = 660 Da and Avogadro's number = 6.022×10²³ mol⁻¹.) easy 3 marks Plasmid copy number calculation
• 34 State the purpose of a selectable marker gene in plant genetic engineering and give one commonly used selectable marker. medium 3 marks Role of selectable markers
• 35 Which DNA polymerase is most commonly used in PCR because it remains active after repeated cycles of high temperature denaturation? easy MCQ 1 mark PCR enzyme selection