Biotechnology Applications
Level 1: Recognition Test
Time Limit: 20 minutes Total Marks: 30
Section A — Multiple Choice Questions (1 mark each) [10 marks]
Choose the single best answer.
Q1. The human insulin produced by recombinant bacteria and sold as Humulin consists of:
- (a) A single chain A
- (b) Two chains, A and B, joined by disulfide bonds
- (c) Three chains, A, B and C
- (d) Chain C only
Q2. The Bt toxin used in Bt cotton is derived from the bacterium:
- (a) Escherichia coli
- (b) Agrobacterium tumefaciens
- (c) Bacillus thuringiensis
- (d) Rhizobium leguminosarum
Q3. Golden Rice was engineered to biofortify grains with a precursor of:
- (a) Vitamin C
- (b) Vitamin A (β-carotene)
- (c) Iron
- (d) Vitamin D
Q4. Monoclonal antibodies are produced from:
- (a) A bacterial colony
- (b) A hybridoma cell (B-cell fused with myeloma cell)
- (c) Yeast fermentation only
- (d) A virus culture
Q5. Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) are generated by:
- (a) Fertilising an egg
- (b) Reprogramming adult somatic cells using defined transcription factors
- (c) Extracting cells from an embryo
- (d) Bacterial transformation
Q6. In an mRNA vaccine, the injected mRNA directs host cells to produce a(n):
- (a) Whole live virus
- (b) Antibiotic
- (c) Antigenic protein (e.g. spike protein)
- (d) DNA polymerase
Q7. A stirred-tank bioreactor is primarily used to:
- (a) Isolate DNA
- (b) Grow microbes/cells in large volumes under controlled conditions
- (c) Sequence genomes
- (d) Store vaccines
Q8. Bioremediation is best defined as:
- (a) Using organisms to clean up pollutants/contaminated environments
- (b) Producing bread by fermentation
- (c) Cloning animals
- (d) Making monoclonal antibodies
Q9. Therapeutic cloning aims primarily to:
- (a) Produce a whole cloned organism
- (b) Generate patient-matched cells/tissues for treatment
- (c) Kill bacteria
- (d) Ferment ethanol
Q10. Synthetic biology can be described as:
- (a) The random mutation of genomes
- (b) The design and construction of new biological parts, devices and pathways
- (c) Natural evolution over millions of years
- (d) The study of fossils
Section B — Matching (1 mark each) [6 marks]
Q11. Match each term in Column X with its correct description in Column Y.
| Column X | Column Y |
|---|---|
| (i) Transgenic organism | (P) Fungus/yeast producing ethanol biofuel |
| (ii) Organoid | (Q) Contains a gene from another species |
| (iii) Herbicide-resistant crop | (R) 3-D miniature organ grown in vitro |
| (iv) Bioethanol producer | (S) Survives glyphosate spraying |
| (v) Recombinant vaccine | (T) Antigen protein made in cultured cells, not whole pathogen |
| (vi) Embryonic stem cell | (U) Pluripotent cell from the inner cell mass |
Section C — True/False WITH Justification (2 marks each: 1 verdict + 1 justification) [14 marks]
State True or False, then give a one-line justification.
Q12. GMOs and transgenic organisms are exactly the same thing in every case.
Q13. Bacteria producing human insulin must have the human gene inserted, because bacteria do not naturally make insulin.
Q14. Bt crops require heavier spraying of chemical insecticides than conventional crops.
Q15. Reproductive cloning (e.g. Dolly the sheep) uses somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT).
Q16. iPSCs avoid the ethical concern of destroying embryos that is associated with embryonic stem cells.
Q17. Tissue engineering uses only cells, with no scaffold ever required.
Q18. Golden Rice provides pre-formed vitamin A directly, requiring no conversion in the body.
Answer keyMark scheme & solutions
Section A (1 mark each)
| Q | Ans | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | (b) | Insulin = A chain (21 aa) + B chain (30 aa) joined by disulfide bonds; both chains made separately in E. coli then combined. |
| 2 | (c) | Bt = Bacillus thuringiensis, source of Cry (crystal) insecticidal proteins. |
| 3 | (b) | Golden Rice accumulates β-carotene (pro-vitamin A) in the endosperm to combat vitamin A deficiency. |
| 4 | (b) | Hybridoma = antibody-producing B-cell fused with immortal myeloma cell → identical (monoclonal) antibodies. |
| 5 | (b) | iPSCs made by reprogramming somatic cells with factors (Oct4, Sox2, Klf4, c-Myc). |
| 6 | (c) | mRNA is translated by host ribosomes into an antigen (spike), triggering immunity; no live virus. |
| 7 | (b) | Bioreactors maintain temperature, pH, O₂, agitation for large-scale culture. |
| 8 | (a) | Bioremediation uses living organisms/microbes to degrade or remove pollutants. |
| 9 | (b) | Therapeutic cloning generates patient-matched stem cells/tissues, not a whole organism. |
| 10 | (b) | Synthetic biology = engineering novel biological parts/pathways by design. |
Section B (1 mark each)
Q11.
- (i) → (Q) transgenic = carries a gene from another species
- (ii) → (R) organoid = 3-D miniature organ in vitro
- (iii) → (S) herbicide-resistant survives glyphosate
- (iv) → (P) yeast/fungus makes bioethanol
- (v) → (T) recombinant vaccine = antigen protein only
- (vi) → (U) ESC = pluripotent cell from inner cell mass
Section C (2 marks each: 1 verdict + 1 justification)
Q12. FALSE. All transgenic organisms are GMOs, but not all GMOs are transgenic — a GMO may be modified without adding a foreign-species gene (e.g. gene knockout/editing). (1 verdict + 1 justification)
Q13. TRUE. Bacteria lack the insulin gene naturally; the human insulin gene (or synthetic A/B sequences) must be inserted via a plasmid vector for expression. (1+1)
Q14. FALSE. Bt crops produce their own insecticidal protein, so they need less chemical insecticide spraying. (1+1)
Q15. TRUE. Dolly was cloned by SCNT — nucleus of a somatic cell transferred into an enucleated egg. (1+1)
Q16. TRUE. iPSCs are made from a patient's own adult cells, so no embryo is destroyed. (1+1)
Q17. FALSE. Tissue engineering often requires a scaffold (natural or synthetic) to support and shape cell growth into 3-D tissue. (1+1)
Q18. FALSE. Golden Rice supplies β-carotene (pro-vitamin A), which the body must convert into active vitamin A. (1+1)
Mark Summary
- Section A: 10 × 1 = 10
- Section B: 6 × 1 = 6
- Section C: 7 × 2 = 14
- Total = 30 marks
[
{"claim": "Total marks equal 30 (10 MCQ + 6 matching + 14 T/F)", "code": "sectionA=10*1; sectionB=6*1; sectionC=7*2; total=sectionA+sectionB+sectionC; result = (total==30)"},
{"claim": "Insulin A chain (21) + B chain (30) total 51 residues", "code": "A=21; B=30; result = (A+B==51)"},
{"claim": "Section C contributes 14 marks from 7 questions worth 2 each", "code": "result = (7*2==14)"},
{"claim": "MCQ correct-answer count is 10", "code": "answers=['b','c','b','b','b','c','b','a','b','b']; result = (len(answers)==10)"}
]