After green revolution, now a stage has come when further increase in crop yield with the existing crop varieties is not possible. Use of agro-chemicals is two expensive for the farmers and are too harmful for animals and the environment. The answer to the questions whether there is a method to increase the yield and reduce the use of agro-chemicals, is the use of genetically modified (GM) crops.
Write six points on the advantages ofthe GM crops.

In mammals, insulin is synthcsised as a pro-hormone. Observe the diagram showing the maturation of pro-insulin into insulin given below and answer the questions that follow.

(a) Why is it called pro-insulin?
(b) Mention the chemical changes that the proinsulin undergoes to become the mature functional insulin.
(c) What is the challenge in the production ofinsulin using rDNA techniques?

A multinational company (XYZ) marketed a medicine extracted from medicinal herbs grown in the sprawling fields in a foreign country. This herb is found growing in our country only and no compensation was paid or permission taken from the relevant authority.
(a) What is the term used to refer to such an act committed by the multinational company?
(b) Justify the meaning of the term.
(c) What has the Indian Government done to prevent such deeds?

Read the following and answer any four questions from (i) to (v) given below:
Transgenic cows have extra gene or genes inserted into their DNA. Firstly the genes for the desired product is identified and sequenced. Then a gene construct containing this desired gene is introduced into female cow cells. Transgenic bovine cells are selected and fused with bovine oocytes that have had all of their chromosomes removed. Once fused with the oocyte, the transgenic cells chromosomes are reprogrammed to direct development into an embryo which can be implanted into a recipient cow. The resulting transgenic cow only express the trans gene in her milk. This is because expression of the trans gene is controlled by a promoter specific to lactating mammary cells. The first transgenic cow was 'Rosie:
(i) The gene construct with desired gene is introduced into female cow cells by

(ii) Production of transgenic cow fulfill the objective of

(iii) The name of first transgenic cow is

(iv) Transgenic cow is produced through the implantation of _____containing transgene into recipient cow.

(v) Assertion : Transgenes only express in the mammary glands of transgenic cow.
Reason : Transgenes are present in chromosomes of every cell in transgenic cow

Read the following and answer any four questions from (i) to (v) given below:
Insulin used to cure diabetes was earlier extracted from pancreas of slaughtered cattle and pigs. Insulin extracted from an animal source, though caused some patients to develop allergy or other types of reactions to the foreign protein. Human insulin consists of two short polypeptide chains: chain A and chain B, that are linked together by disulphide bridges. In mammals including humans, insulin is synthesised as a pro-hormone which contains an extra stretch called the C-peptide. This C peptide is not present in mature insulin and is removed during maturation into insulin.
(i) Identify A in the given figure.
 
 

(ii) The following is a list of some stages involved in producing human insulin from genetically engineered bacteria.
1. The bacteria are cultured in a fermenter for large scale production.
2. Recombinant insulin is extracted from the bacterial cells that expresses insulin gene.
3. The same restriction enzyme is used again to cut the bacterial plasmid for insertion of the human insulin gene.
4. Bacteria take up the plasmid carrying the insulin gene.
5. A restriction enzyme is used to cut human DNA to extract the insulin gene.
Select the correct order of these stages.

(iii) To insert the insulin gene into bacterial DNA, both the bacterial plasmid and the human chromosome containing the insulin gene are treated with the same restriction enzyme. Using the same restriction enzyme ensures that

(iv) Why is the fermentor important for the production of human insulin by transgenic bacteria

(v) A bacteriologist carries out his first attempt at engineering E.coli with the gene for human insulin. During the process, he realises that his stock of DNA ligase has depleted but decides to continue anyway. What is a likely consequence of his decision?