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Class 12 Biology Chapter 12 Biotechnology and its Applications
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Biotechnology and its Applications
Chapter – 12
BIOTECHNOLOGY
Very Short Answer Type Questions
Q.1. What is transgenic organism? Give example each of transgenic plant and animal.
Ans : When gene taken from other species (foreign gene is inserted into the genome of an organism through genetic engineering the organism becomes transgenic. It then contains some special ability which was not there.
Example of transgenic plant : Bt cotton (contain gene from Bacillus thuringiensis)
Q.2. What is gene therapy? Give one example of its application?
Ans : Gene therapy is a collection of methods that allows correction of a gene defect that has been diagnosed in a child or embryo.
Q.3. Give the name of the vaccine which is obtained from transgenic yeast.
Ans : Hepatitis B virus.
Q.4. What is biopiracy?
Ans : Taking away of any bioresource surreptitiously from a country without permission is called biopiracy.
Q.5. How many polypeptides are found in human insulin?
Ans : Two.
Q.6. Name a popular technique, which is used for detecting the presence of pathogen or virus in an organism.
Ans : ELISA (Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay)
Q.7. Name two drugs that were earlier produced by sacrificing animals but are now produced using biotechnology.
Ans : Insulin and bovine serum.
Q.8. What is DNA deficiency? Which disease is associated with it?
Ans : When the number of chromosome (DNA) is less than normal certain genetic disease occurs. Monosomy 21 is such a genetic disease in which 21st set of chromosome is absent.
Q.9. What is probe?
Ans : Prove are DNA or RNA having small nucleotide sequences. These are used to determine whether the nucleic acid has complete sequence.
Q.10. Expand GEAC to full form.
Ans : Genetic Engineering Approval Committee.
Q.11. What is transgenic animal?
Ans : Animals that have had their DNA manipulated to possess and express an extra gene are known as transgenic animals.
Q.12. Give any two benefits that can be acquired from transgenic animals.
Ans : (i) These animals can be used for various experiment concerning the effect of various genes and genetic experiments, pharmaceutical tests etc.
(ii) For obtaining drugs, organic substances, meat and milk having better nutrition.
Q.13. What is chemical safety testing?
Ans : Transgenic animals are more sensitive to chemical toxicity and therefore these animals may be use to test about the chemical safety of foods and drugs etc.
Q.14. What was the speciality of the milk produced by transgenic cow ‘Rosie’?
Ans : A transgenic can named Rosie created in 1997 produces milk that contain alpha lactalbumin, a protein required by human body –
Q.15. How are two short polypeptide chains of insulin linked together?
Ans : The A-chain and B chain of human insulin is linked together by two disulphide bonds.
Q.16. What is Golden Rice?
Ans : Prof. Ingo Potrykus and Dr. Peter Beyer developed genetically engineered rice called golden rice which is enriched in vitamin A by introducing three genis involved in biosynthetic pathway for carotenoid, the precursor of vitamin A. The colour of Golden rice in yellow due to synthesis of pro vitamin A in entire grain.
(B). Fill up the Blanks :
Q.1. ELISA test is based on the principle of ____ interaction.
Ans : Antygen-antibody.
Q.2. Fruit softening in tomato is promoted by the enzyme _____ which degrades pectin.
Ans : Pectate lyases.
Q.3. A soil bacterium _____ produces, a crystal (cry) protein.
Ans : Bacillus thuringiensis.
Q.4. Theft, robbery and unauthorised exploitation of bioresources of a country is ____
Ans : Biopiracy.
Q.5. ____ is a set of standards that may be used to regulate our activities in relation to biological world.
Ans : Ethics.
Q.6. In mammals, including human insulin is synthesized as a _____
Ans : C-peptide.
Q.7. Fusion of Lymphocytic and tumour cells are called____
Ans : Polyclonal antibody.
Q.8. Molecular analysis’ of profiles of DNA samples is called ____
Ans : PCR.
Q.9. First hormone produced: artificially by culturing bacteria is ____
Ans : Insulin.
Q.10. Antibiotics are drugs commonly used to cure diseases of ____
Ans : Bacteria.
Q.11. In Transgenic cow the milk contains human.
Ans : Protein.
Q.12. Recovery of products, it’s refining and processing is called _____processing.
Ans : Bioreactor.
Q.13. A biomolecule is a compound produced by____
Ans : Genes.
Q.14. The first transgenic crop was ____
Ans : Basmati rice
(C). Select true and false experiments :
Q.1. Brazzein and the gene encoding for it have been patented in USA.
Ans : True.
Q.2. Bt cotton contains two transgenes.
Ans : False.
Q.3. Biopiracy is the legal use of bioresources.
Ans : False.
Q.4. India holds the patent for Neem.
Ans : True.
Q.5. Insulin for curing diabetes could be obtained from 6M or- ganisms.
Ans : True.
Q.6. Vitamin B₁₂ and Vitamin B₂ are two vitamins manufactured biotechnologically.
Ans : True.
Q.7. The term antibiotic was coined by Alexander Fleming.
Ans : False.
Q.8. Tissue culture is the main technique involved in agricul- tural biotechnology.
Ans : True.
Q.9. Plasmid called ‘genetaxi’ is used during gene cloning.
Ans : True.
Q.10. Golden rice is a wild variety of rice with yellow coloured grains.
Ans : False.
Q.11. Anticoagulant hirudin is produced by transgenic Brassica napus seeds.
Ans : True.
Q.12. In Bt cotton, a transgenic plant, Bt refers to Biotechnology.
Ans : False.
Q.13. A protoxin is a toxin produced by protozoa.
Ans : True.
II. Short Questions 2 Marks :
Q.1. What are transgenic bacteria? Illustrate using any one example.
Ans : The bacteria in which genes taken from other species have been inserted are called transgenic bacteria. Example : Transgenic E coli has been created by inserting gene that codes for insulin secretion taken from mouse is a transgenic bacterium. This bacteria can secrete insulin.
Q.2. Which two patents on Indian biological resources have been revolted?
Ans : Basmati Rice and Neem.
Q.3. What is meant by genetically modified crops? How does a genetically modified food primarily differ from the produce of conventionally developed varieties.
Ans : The crop which has been modified by inserting gene from other source to impart it with certain added character is called genetically modified crop. Such modification is done through recombinant DNA technology.
GM crops differ from conventional types because such crops contain added qualities such as specific disease resistance, pest resistance, insect resistance draught resistance etc. In some cases the foods contain added nutrition, increased shelf life, increased flavour and test etc. than the conventional types.
Q.4. What is transgene and what are transgenic plants?
Ans : A recombinant DNA in which gene from DNA of other species has been inserted is called transgene.
Genetically modified plants which carries transgenes are called transgenic plants.
Q.5. What are bioreactors? List at least two growth conditions that a bioreactor provides for obtaining the desired product.
Ans : Bioreactors are large vessels in which raw materials are biologically converted into useful products like enzymes, acids, antibiotics, alcohol etc. using microbes, plant or animal cells. These also facilitate production of large volume of microbial cells for use as single celled proteins or for other purposes. Optimal conditions of temperature, moisture, acidity, substrate, salt, vitamıns etc. are provided in it.
Q.6. How does transgenic crops technique differ from normal breeding activities.
Ans : In normal breeding technique the process of emasculation and dusting of desired pollen grains is followed to impart desired quality to the plants. In transgenic technique a suitable part of DNA drawn from another species that codes for specific character is inserted into the genome of the crop to impart the desired character.
Q.7. Suggest any two techniques which can help in early detection of bacterial/viral infections much before the symptoms ap body.
Ans : (a) PCR : Polymerase Chain Reaction
(b) ELISA : Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay.
Q.8. Give the full form of ELISA. Name two diseases for the detection of which ELISA is used.
Ans : ELISA : Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay.
AIDS (Acquired Immuno Deficiency Syndrome) and Hepatitis can be detected even before the diseases symptom appears.
Q.9. What is molecular diagnostic technique? advantages of this technique over conventional methods.
Ans : For any disease, an early diagnosis by kneeling symptoms, pathophysiology etc. is required. Recombinant DNA molecules and some techniques like polymerase chain reaction have prove very rewarding in this regard. In ELISA cloned genes are expressed to produce recombinant proteins help in developing sensitive diagnostic techniques.
The main advantages of this method over the earlier conventional method that easy to detect and very specific with the symptoms.
Q.10. Define antigen and antibody with a suitable example from each of them.
Ans : The foreign protein particles coming to contact are called antigens and in response to the antigen, the cell produce a protein which is called antibody.
For example vims, bacteria are called antigen when they cause a number of diseases in our body. In response to those bacteria, virus a number of proteins are formed by WBC to protect the infection of these germs, those are called antibodies.
Q.11. Write a short note on transgenic animals.
Ans : Definition: The organisms (animals)which have had their DNA manipulated to possess and express and extra (foreign) gene are known as transgenic animals.
Introduction : Conventional animal husbandry involves the proper feeding, caring, management and breeding methods for the increased production of their yield which may be in the form of meat, milk, eggs, etc. In animal husbandry, selective breeding aims to increase the frequency THO of desired genes and the desired phenotype. For many farm animals the conventional breeding has already achieved high yielding animals but by this procedure, it seems that the productivity would soon be approaching a plateau. To sustain an ever- increasing world population, new methods must be developed to meat this increasing demand for animal products. Secondly, selective breeding is a painfully slow process and especially with larger animals with long gestation period, can take many years to establish desired phenotypic changes.
The advent of technology of transgenesis also called transfection and its application to anímal breeding programmes may greatly increase the speed and range of selective breeding. The transgenesis involves the transfer of desired isolated gene or gene fragments or individual chromosome or chromosomal fragments, or isolated nuclei from one organism to another organism.
The first recorded examples of the transfer of a foreign gene into animal by recombinant DNA technology was the insertion and expression of a rat gene for growth hormone (rGH)into the mouse metallo-thionein (mMT) gene in 1882. The subsequent progeny were all much larger than the parents and the transgenic mouse was called “super mouse” Since then, many transgenic animals including cattle, goats, pigs, rabbits, chickens and fish have been produced.
III. Short Questions 3 Marks :
Q.1. Plasmid is a boon biotechnology. Justify this statement quoting the examples in the field of biotechnological inventions.
Ans : Plasmids are small circular DNA found in bacteria. These are used as vector in transporting gene (DNA fragment) inside bacteria with a purpose to create recombinant DNA inside the bacteria, For this purpose the plasmid is idown out, la part of the plasmid DNA is removed by endonuclease and in that part another part of desired DNA part collected from another organism is inserted using ligase.
This plasmid is then allowed to enter the bacterial cell and carry out recombination process. Plasmid therefore plays a vital role in DNA recombination technology without which it would have been impossible to carry out genetic engineering. It is therefore an important tool in genetic engineering.
For example, the gene coding for insulin in mice had been transferred to E coli which then started producing insulin. In another case, the vaccine against Foot and Mouth Disease of cows had been prepared by transferring VIP gene of virus causing the disease to E coli which on vaccination creates antibody against the virus.
Q.2. Expand the name of enzyme ADA. Why is the enzyme essential in the human body? Suggest a gene therapy for its deficiency.
Ans : ADA means Adenosine deaminase. It is an enzyme which offer immunity to certain disease. The enzyme is synthesised only when the gene responsible for coding the enzyme present in the cells of the body.
If the gene is not present in the body the same may be implanted in the body by genetic engineering. This is a kind of gene therapy. For this purpose the some lymphocyte cells of the diseased person is taken out to multiply such cells artificially. After that the gene responsible for coding ADA is inserted into the lymphocyte cells and the lymphocyte cells carrying the implanted gene are inserted into the body of the diseased person. If this can be done in the embryonic stage than the body remain protected whole life.
Q.3. What are Cry proteins? Name the organisms that produces them. How has man exploited these proteins to his benefit.
Ans : Cry-protein means crystal protein. There are many types of it. A bacterium called Bacillus thuringiensis produces it. A gene named cry gene is responsible for its production of a toxic substance which kills a wide variety of insects. Through genetic engineering this cry gene is inserted in the plant body which in turn develops ability to defend itself from the attack of the pest. A good number of crops have been developed having this property. Bt cotton, Bt corn, Bt brinjal are some such crops. Such crops need not be protected with the help of pesticides.
| Sl. No. | CONTENTS |
| Chapter 1 | Reproduction in Organisms |
| Chapter 2 | Sexual Reproduction in Flowering Plants |
| Chapter 3 | Human Reproduction |
| Chapter 4 | Reproductive Health |
| Chapter 5 | Principles of Inheritance and Variation |
| Chapter 6 | Molecular Basis of Inheritance |
| Chapter 7 | Evolution |
| Chapter 8 | Human Health and Disease |
| Chapter 9 | Strategies for Enhancement in Food Production |
| Chapter 10 | Microbes in Human Welfare |
| Chapter 11 | Biotechnology: Principles And Processes |
| Chapter 12 | Biotechnology and its Applications |
| Chapter 13 | Organisms and Populations |
| Chapter 14 | Ecosystem |
| Chapter 15 | Biodiversity and Conservation |
| Chapter 16 | Bioresources of Assam |
| Chapter 17 | Environmental Issues |
Q.4. What are GMOS? Write at least four main objectives of genetically modified crops plants.
Ans : GMOS (genetically modified organisms) are those organisms in which foreign gene taken from another organism having code for specific property is inserted in the DNA of the host using genetic engineering. The organism in turn acquire the desired quality.
Main objectives:
(i) To reduce the dependence upon pesticide.
(ii) Offer the plant the ability to resist the adverse physical and environmental stress.
(iii) Enhancing self-life to crops.
(iv) Increasing the nutrients of the foods.
(v) Increase the productivity also.
Q.5. What do you mean by GEAC? What are its role?
Ans : GEAC stands for Genetic Engineering Approval Committee. We know that Genetic engineering a great potentiality. It has already shown great promises in the field to biotechnology. Medical science and agricultural science has already made tremendous progress due to it. A large variety of chemical substances are now produced using biotechnology. In many cases new organisms have been created using genetic engineering for their production. The ability to create transgenic variety of animals and plants has shaken the scientific as well as social circles world over.
It is believed that unless some restriction is not created the genetic engineers in their new found ability may shaken the very fabric of the ethical standard. They may be able to create such creatures or human form artificially which may not be good for ethical reason. Again they may create such plant or animal species which in the long run will adversely affect the natural balance and productivity. Therefore to impart a reasonable restrain GEAC have been formed in all countries. This committee will scrutinize the impact of any transgenic form before it is released.
Q.6. How does the toxic insecticide protein produced by bacterium in Bt cotton kill the insect pest but not the cell of Bacillus thuringiensis, where the toxic protein is generated.
Ans: The most successful GM crops are Bt corn and Bt cotton. Corn is a major food and fuel crop. It is cultivated all over the world particularly in USA and Latin America for its potentiality to produce biofuel. Corns are extensively damaged by corn borer! Similarly cotton all over the world is destroyed by budworms, bollworms etc. Resistance to such pest can be induced in plant itself by genetic engineering. Bt stands for a bacterium, Bacillus thuringiensis. This bacterium produce a toxin harmful for pest that damages crops like corn, cotton and others.
The Bt gene of the bacterium has been cloned and introduced into the crop to provide toxic .cetoute crop itself start secreting toxin for the pest. The gene UG gcb crop that code for Bt toxin is called cry gene. There are different types of cry genes that code for different types of toxins (protein). For example the cry gene that codes for toxin specific for cotton is crylAc and that of corn is crylab. The bacterium which produce the toxin is itself not affected by it because the toxin protein remain in inactive form (protoxin) within it, but as soon as the toxin protein is ingested by an insect pest, it dissolves in its alkaline pH of the gut and starts action.
Q.7. What are antibiotics? Giye a list of organisms used for production of different antibiotics mentioning against their names.
Ans : Antibiotics are special kinds of chemo therapeutic agents usually obtained from living microorganisms. These are metabolic products of these organisms. The metabolic product of these microorganisms which are detrimental or inhibitory to other microorganisms in very small amount are called antibiotic. These antibiotics are obtained from some specific microbes and are produced commercially using industrial microbiological process. The first antibiotic was penicillin obtained from a fungus called Penicillium chrysogenum.
Some Antibiotics of importance:
| Antibiotics | Organisms |
| (a) Penicillium | Penicillium chrysogenum |
| (b) Bacitracin | Bacillus subtilis |
| (c) Streptomycin | Streptomyces griseus |
| (d) Tetracycline | S. aureofaciens |
| (e) Chloramphenicol | S. Venezuelae |
| (f) Erythromycin | S. erythreus |
| (g) Neomycin | S. fradiae |
| (h) Ampicillin | Penicillium Spp |
| (i) Cephalosporin | Cephalosporium Spp |
| (j) Polymixin B | Bacillus polymyxa |
Q.8. What is a transgenic crop? State the advantages of the technique involved in the production of transgenic crop over breeding activities.
Ans : The crop which has been modified by inserting gene from other source to impart it with certain added characters it is called transgenic and the plant is called transgenic plant.
In normal breeding technique the process of emasculation and dusting of desired pollen grains is follow to impart desired quality to the plants or crops. In transgenic technique a suitable part of DNA drawn from another species that codes for specific character is inserted into the genome of the crop to impart the desired character.
Q.9. Name a-insect pest that is killed by the product of cry 1 AC gene. Explain how the gene makes the plant resistant to the insect pest.
Ans : Proteins encoded by the genes ‘cry IA’c and cry II Ab control te cotton ball worm and that of cry 1Ab controls the corn borer. I-amysna The cry protein is toxic to larvae of certain insects as lepidopteran (Tobacco bud worm, army warm) celeopters (beetles) and dipteran (flies).
Q.10. What are various advantages of using genetically modified plants to increase the overall yield of the crop?
Ans : The advantages genetically modified organisms are :
(i) They can tolerate the physical and environmental stress such as cold, drought, salt and temperature.
(ii) They can resist the pest attack and thereby reduce dependence on pesticide.
(iii) They can tolerate the herbicides.
(iv) They reduce post harvest loss.
(v) They have increased self-life fruits and Vegetables.
(vi) They have improved food value.
(vii) They have improve productivity of stanh and oil.
IV. Long Question 5 Marks :
Q.1. Write notes on:
(a) Gene therapy
Ans : Each gene is specific for an enzyme. Therefore for synthesis of every enzyme one gene is required which must be specific for that enzyme. In the absence or defect of a particular gene certain enzyme required to change a metabolic product for the next step to start with not be synthesised. As a result the chain of metabolic reaction which normally ends with production of a substance essential for functioning of the life system stops without completing the chain of reaction. This give rise genetic disease which normally cannot be cured. Gene therapy aims to remove such defect at the embryonic state by injecting correct gene. Permanent cure is still not possible in adult. Bone marrow transplantation, enzyme replacement therapy, infusion of genetically engineered lymphocytes of blood do not bring permanent cure unless treated at embryonic stage.
In the above scheme the substrate ‘C’ has not changed because the enzyme needed to change it to the next product is not available due to the defect of the gene responsible for its production. Therefore the substrate “C’ will accumulate in the body causing suffering which cannot be cured by any drug. Only gene therapy at the embryonic shape can cure it completely.
(b) Genetically engineered insulin
Ans : Genetic engineering has achieved great height in terms of application in medical and agriculture. It was given clue to develop new organisms not present earlier in the history of evolution. It can now modify in genetic quality of animal and plants. With a view to make them more productive nutritive and resistant to physical and chemical stress. But unregulated manipulation of living organism cannot be allowed as this act may creates organisms which if allowed to breed freely in nature may lead to change ecological balance. The intermixing of modified organisms with natural population may lead to unpredictable consequences. Moreover, ethical issue such a moral right of human being to modify nature’s creation, infringement on animal right etc. must be considered.
There fore, in line with the decision of various governments aid United Nation guidelines the Government of India has constituted a regulatory committee or authority Named Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC). This committee is responsible for all issues concerning genetically modifications research and validates of the product before introduced for the public services. i.e. available in the market. The food value, side effect etc. are also checked by this approved authority.
(c) Ethical issues of biotechnology.
Ans : When human being fails to synthesis insulin in his or her body must take insulin does to get rid of problems associated with diabetes. Earlier insulin was obtained by extracting from pancreas of slaughtered animals. It was a costly and troublesome process as a huge number of animals needed to be reared. Moreover, the insulin of animal origin sometime caused allergic reaction in human being. All these could be overcome by use of genetic engineering. Genetic engineers chosen microorganism in place of animal. It is easier to handle microorganisms, require less time and the cost of production is also less.
The schematic figure shows that DNA obtained from pancreas of rat (DNA can be artificially synthesized also) is cut out to isolate the precise segment responsible for insulin biosynthesis. The DNA segment is then joined with plasmid separated from E. coli bacteria using ligase. The recombinant DNA (plasmid plus isolated DNA fragment) is than incorporated in the same type of bacteria. The bacteria will multiply along with its recombinant DNA. The bacteria having such insulin coded DNA fragment in their cells, will secrete insulin in culture which can be isolated easily. Thus the technology ensures steady supply of insulin of commercial scale.
Q.2. What is the principle of PCR technique? Mention the role of PCR in molecular diagnosis.
Ans : The polymerase chain reaction or PCR multiplies copies of DNA or its segments in vitro using two sets of primers which are small chemically synthesized oligonucleotides complementary to the regions of DNA and. an enzyme called DNA polymerase. The enzyme polymerase extend the primers using nucleotides provided in the reaction and the DNA part provided as template. The process of replication can be repeated and a billion copies of the DNA can be multiplied. Thus a small fraction of DNA can be multiplied for study and use in genetic engineering.
Molecular Diagnosis using PCR : The methods of diagnosis of diseases are now undergoing rapid change. Earlier, the diagnosis of pathophysiology was based on analysis of blood, urine, stool etc. Later methods like Polymer Chain. Reaction, Enzyme Linked Immuno-sorbent Assay (ELISA), Widal test, Fluorescent Antibody Technique and such other tests are being carried out for diagnosis of infection. The problem associated with such diagnosis is that the symptoms of diseases are produced only when the population of infectious agents increase too much.
However, using PCR technique even presence of small amount of infectious agent can be detected by amplifying their nucleic acid. This is used in detection of HIV in suspected AIDS patients. The presence of mutant genes in case of suspected career patient may also be detected by PCR. In this case a single stranded DNA or RNA is tagged with radioactive molecule and allowed to hybridize its complementary strand in clone of the cells. This is then detected using autoradiography. The film that will be produced will not show the clone having mutated genes, because the radioactive molecule used as probe will not have complementary part of mutated genes.
ELISA test is an antigen-antibody reaction test. It detects specific virus, bacteria, toxins present in serum by detecting the presence of antigens which reacts with known antibody used for test.
Q.3. What are bioresources? How are industrialised nations exploiting the bioresources? Explain it by taking any example.
Ans : All plants, animals and microorganisms which sustain our livelihood, maintain the balance of nature and perpetuate are bioresources. We depend upon them for our food, cloth, fibres, medicine, building materials etc.
They are the genetic resources evolved through million years in interaction with nature. Each region, each country and each continent and sub- continent has peculiar bioresources of its own. Wanton destruction of natural areas, habitats and excessive use by human being are causing their gradual extinction.
Developed countries have developed sophisticated technology to propagate and multiply many bioresources with ease. So they are in search for such bioresources which are not found in their countries but have great commercial value. They take resource to biopiracy. What they do with these? They using genetic engineering manipulate certain quality and patent these as of their own development. The country from where they have collected these are deprived of the right to produce these. Indian Basmati Rice, Neem, Tulsi, Turmeric etc. are similarly patented but due to strong protest from the Indian Government, they have not been successful.
Q.4. “Biotechnology can greatly promote human welfare, but it can also be misused to increase human sufferings”. Comment on the statement with the help of suitable examples.
Ans : The contribution of biotechnology for human welfare is outstanding. It has so much of potentiality that it can lay hands in all branches of science which are directly related to human welfare. It can produce not of new drugs, increase food production. Genetically engineered drugs. Food crops, animals are going to revolutionise to concept of productivity. It can create new organism having additional eladity. The rate at which the technology is progressing the world may witness both positive and negative impact of it. While the positive sides have been hinted above the negative sides are dangerously hazardous and potential enough to disintegrate the moral and ethical values of life and society.
Some of the possible evil consequences of genetic engineering are:
(i) Possibility of developing germs which are resistant to known antibiotics to be used for biological warfare.
(ii) Accidental production and escape of some potentially dangerous owls organisms which may cause environmental imbalance.
(iii) There may be tendency to produce monsters, robots, or a dictator may decide to create thousands of subhuman creatures for specific purposes. All these would lead to a situation in which natural process of human evolution and societal relationship would be disturbed.
(iv) The green foods may certain toxin and these may pollute other crops and thereby diversity of crops my be affected.
Q.5. What are the differences between conventional agricultural practices and modern agricultural practise. State the answer giving examples.
Ans : Conventional agriculture depends upon sustainable cycles of rain, nutrient pest and pathogen. No chemical fertilizer, pesticides and irrigation was necessary. Pest and diseases are biologically controlled. It is dependent upon rain. Crop rotation is followed organic manure is used.
But as the demand for more food has increased the limited area of agriculture field is not been able to supply us increased demand. Agriculturists now to grow more food have taken recourse to modern method.
The modern method is based on three approaches :
(i) Agriculture based on ago-chemicals such as chemical fertilizer, pesticides, herbicides.
(ii) Agriculture based on organic input such as manure, bio-fertilizer, bio-controlling agents.
(iii) Agriculture based on genetically modified crops.
We are aware of the last great leap forward in agriculture in the 5th and 6th decades of the last century. The hybridization technique created such an impact in agriculture that high yielding varieties of major crops had revolutionised our agriculture. This agricultural revolution was called green revolution: Agriculture production has increased not only for the high yielding varieties but also because of improved management practice, use of more fertilizer, more water etc.
Even then the production of food is not sufficient to feed the entire population adequately. Moreover, the cost of ago-chemicals are increasing, day-by-day and with the existing varieties and with the use of existing agro-chemicals the level of production cannot be increased further. More and more use of ago-chemicals are also harmful to our environment. Țherefore agro-scientists are looking for alternatives method to boost agriculture.
The development of genetically modified organisms (GMO) is the latest tool in the hands of agriculturists for increasing crop yield. GM plants are efficient in many ways.
Specific GM crop has specific ability such as:
(i) tolerate physical and environmental stress such as cold, draught, basalt, temperature.
(ii) resist pest attack and thereby reduce dependence on pesticides.
(iii) tolerate herbicides.
(iv) reduce post-harvest loss.
(v) increase self-life of fruits and vegetables,
(vi) Improves the food value.
(vii) Improves the productivity of starch and oil.
The most successful GM crops are Bt corn and Bt. cotton. Corn is a major food and fuel crop. It is cultivated all over the world particularly is USA and Latin America for its potentiality to produce biofuel.
Many different kinds of such GM crops have been developed. Development of GM crops however is not free from the controversy.
Q.6. One of the main objective of biotechnology is to minimise the use of insecticides on cultivated crops. Explain how insect resistant crops have been developed by using techniques of biotechnology.
Ans : Conventional agriculture depends upon sustainable cycles of rain, nutrient pest and pathogen. No chemical fertilizer, pesticides and irrigation was necessary. Pest and diseases are biologically controlled. It is dependent upon rain. Crop rotation is followed organic manure is used.
But as the demand for more food has increased the limited area of agriculture field is not been able to supply us increased demand. Agriculturists now to grow more food have taken recourse to modern method.
The modern method is based on three approaches:
(i) Agriculture based on ago-chemicals such as chemical fertilizer, pesticides, herbicides.
(ii) Agriculturė based on organic input S1s e bio-controlling agents.
(iii) Agriculture based on genetically modified crops.
You are aware of the last great leap forward in agriculture in the 5th and 6th decades of the last century. The hybridization technique created such an impact in agriculture that ! revolutionised our agriculture. This agricultural revolution was called green revolution. Agriculture production has increased not only for the high yielding varieties but also because of improved management practice, use of more fertilizer, more water etc. Even then the production of food is not sufficient to feed the entire population adequately. Moreover, the cost of ago-chemicals are increasing, day-by-day and with the existing varieties and with the use of existing agro-chemicals the level of production cannot be increased further. More and more use of ago-chemicals are also harmful to our environment. Therefore agro-scientists are looking for alternatives method to boost agriculture.
The development of genetically modified organisms (GMO) is the latest tool in the hands of agriculturists for increasing crop yield: GM plants are efficient in many ways.
(i) tolerate physical and environmental stress such as cold, draught, salt, temperature.
(ii) resist pest attack and thereby reduce dependence on pesticides.
(iii) tolerate herbicides.
(iv) reduce post-harvest loss.
(vi) Improves the food value.
(vii) Improves the productivity of starch and oil.
The most successful GM crops are Bt corn and Bt. cotton, Corn is a major food and fuel crop. It is cultivated all USA and Latin America for its potentiality to produce biofuel. world particularly is Dosm Many different kinds of such GM crops have been developed. Development of GM crops however is not free from the controversy.
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