Biotechnology Principles and Processes

34 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 Principles and Processes' (Class 12 BIOLOGY)? medium MCQ Chapter Core Principle
• 2 Which key mechanism or analytical rule is highlighted in 'Biotechnology Principles and Processes'? medium MCQ Key Analytical Mechanism
• 3 What is the primary topic or principle explained in 'Biotechnology Principles and Processes' (Class 12 Biology)? medium MCQ Chapter Core Concept
• 4 Which key observation or fact is central to understanding 'Biotechnology Principles and Processes'? medium MCQ Key Fact & Mechanism
• 5 Why is the study of 'Biotechnology Principles and Processes' important for students of Class 12? medium MCQ Learning Significance
• 6 What is a common application or real-world example related to 'Biotechnology Principles and Processes'? medium MCQ Real World Application
• 7 What key takeaway should students retain after completing 'Biotechnology Principles and Processes'? medium MCQ Chapter Summary & Takeaway
• 8 Which of the following is a palindromic DNA sequence recognized and cut by the restriction enzyme EcoRI? easy MCQ 1 mark Restriction enzymes and palindromic sites
• 9 List and briefly describe the three main steps of the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). medium 2 marks PCR process
• 10 A researcher wants to clone the human insulin gene (coding sequence 1,100 bp) into the plasmid vector pBR322 (size 4,363 bp). If 5 µg of the recombinant plasmid DNA is required for transformation, calculate the approximate number of plasmid molecules needed. (Assume average molecular weight of a base pair is 660 Da.) hard 5 marks Calculation of plasmid copy number
• 11 Which type of bioreactor is most suitable for the production of monoclonal antibodies that require strict control of shear stress? medium MCQ 2 marks Bioreactor selection for low‑shear cultures
• 12 Outline a complete strategy to produce recombinant human growth hormone (hGH) in *Escherichia coli*. Include (i) choice of vector, (ii) promoter and regulatory elements, (iii) insertion of the hGH coding sequence, (iv) selection marker, (v) steps to confirm expression, and (vi) method to purify the protein. hard 5 marks Recombinant protein production in bacteria
• 13 Briefly describe the three major steps involved in DNA fingerprinting using the Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (RFLP) technique. medium 2 marks RFLP fingerprinting steps
• 14 A PCR reaction starts with 5 copies of a target DNA fragment. Assuming 100 % efficiency (each cycle doubles the number of copies), how many DNA molecules are present after 30 cycles? Express the answer in scientific notation. hard 3 marks PCR amplification calculation
• 15 Which of the following enzymes is primarily responsible for joining adjacent DNA fragments during the construction of recombinant plasmids? easy MCQ 1 mark Role of DNA ligase
• 16 During a PCR amplification, the efficiency of each cycle is 85 %. Starting with 100 copies of a target DNA fragment, how many copies will be present after 20 cycles? Express the answer in scientific notation. medium 3 marks PCR efficiency calculation
• 17 A plasmid of 6,000 bp is present in a solution at 2 µg/µl. How many plasmid molecules are there in 5 µl of this solution? (Use Avogadro’s number 6.022×10^23 mol⁻¹ and the average molecular weight of a base pair as 660 Da.) medium 2 marks Plasmid copy calculation
• 18 Outline a complete strategy to produce recombinant human insulin in Escherichia coli. Include (i) choice of vector, (ii) promoter and regulatory elements, (iii) insertion of the insulin coding sequence, (iv) selection marker, (v) steps to confirm expression, and (vi) method to purify the protein. hard 5 marks Recombinant protein production
• 19 A plasmid of 3,200 bp is present in a solution at a concentration of 1.5 μg/μl. How many plasmid molecules are there in 10 μl of this solution? (Use Avogadro’s number 6.022×10^23 mol^-1 and the average molecular weight of a base pair 660 Da.) medium 2 marks Calculating plasmid copy number
• 20 Which of the following restriction enzymes generates blunt ends when it cuts DNA? easy MCQ 1 mark Restriction enzyme cleavage patterns
• 21 Outline a complete strategy to produce recombinant hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) in the yeast *Pichia pastoris*. Include (i) choice of vector, (ii) promoter and regulatory elements, (iii) insertion of the HBsAg coding sequence, (iv) selection marker, (v) steps to confirm expression, and (vi) method to purify the antigen. hard 5 marks Recombinant protein production in yeast
• 22 Define bacterial transformation and mention one commonly used method to achieve it. easy 1 mark Bacterial transformation technique
• 23 Outline a complete strategy to produce recombinant SARS‑CoV‑2 spike protein in the baculovirus–insect cell expression system. Include (i) choice of vector, (ii) promoter and regulatory elements, (iii) insertion of the spike coding sequence, (iv) selection marker, (v) steps to confirm expression, and (vi) method to purify the protein. hard 5 marks Recombinant protein production in baculovirus system
• 24 Define gene cloning. Mention one commonly used cloning vector and state its key feature. easy 1 mark Definition and example of gene cloning
• 25 Which DNA polymerase is most commonly used in routine PCR because of its high thermostability and lack of proofreading activity? easy MCQ 1 mark DNA polymerase used in PCR
• 26 During a PCR, the efficiency per cycle is 92 %. Starting with 250 copies of a DNA fragment, how many copies will be present after 25 cycles? Express the answer in scientific notation (two significant figures). medium 2 marks PCR amplification with less than 100 % efficiency
• 27 Which of the following genes is most frequently used as a selectable marker in E. coli cloning vectors? easy MCQ 1 mark Selectable marker in bacterial vectors
• 28 Outline a complete strategy to express recombinant human growth hormone (hGH) in Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) cells using a mammalian expression system. Include (i) choice of vector, (ii) promoter and regulatory elements, (iii) insertion of the hGH coding sequence, (iv) selection marker, (v) steps to confirm expression, and (vi) purification method for the secreted protein. hard 5 marks Recombinant protein production in mammalian cells
• 29 Define transformation efficiency in bacterial cloning. State the formula used to calculate it and illustrate with an example where 2 µg of plasmid DNA (size 3,000 bp) yields 1.2 × 10⁷ transformants on selective plates. hard 3 marks Transformation efficiency definition
• 30 A PCR amplification starts with 500 copies of a DNA fragment. Each cycle has an efficiency of 88 % (i.e., each cycle multiplies the number of copies by 1.88). How many copies will be present after 15 cycles? Give the answer in scientific notation rounded to two significant figures. medium 2 marks PCR efficiency calculation
• 31 Define site‑directed mutagenesis and give one application of this technique in biotechnology. easy 1 mark Site‑directed mutagenesis
• 32 Outline a complete strategy to produce a recombinant monoclonal antibody Fab fragment in HEK293 cells using a mammalian expression system. Include (i) choice of vector, (ii) promoter and regulatory elements, (iii) insertion of the Fab coding sequences (heavy‑chain variable and light‑chain constant regions) with a secretion signal, (iv) selection marker, (v) steps to confirm expression, and (vi) method to purify the secreted Fab. hard 5 marks Mammalian expression of recombinant antibody fragments
• 33 A researcher transforms 0.8 µg of a 4,500 bp plasmid DNA into competent *E. coli* cells and obtains 9.6×10^6 colonies on selective plates. Calculate the transformation efficiency expressed as the number of transformants per microgram of DNA. medium 2 marks Calculation of transformation efficiency
• 34 Which of the following restriction enzymes generates 5′‑overhang sticky ends when it cleaves DNA? easy MCQ 1 mark Restriction enzymes and type of DNA ends