Genetics, Biotechnology and Nanotechnology: RAS Prelims MCQs
179 RAS Prelims MCQs on genetics, biotechnology and nanotechnology cover DNA structure, chromosomes, recombinant DNA tools, plant tissue culture, biotech products and bioethics. Purines, base pairing, Chargaff’s rule, vectors, totipotency, Humulin, Feynman’s lecture, the Nagoya Protocol and biopiracy are asked as facts and sequences, with explanations that name the process behind each fact.
Practice questions based on the RPSC RAS Prelims syllabus. They follow the exam pattern but are not past-paper questions.
Showing 121–130 of 179 questions
RAS PrelimsScience and Technology · Genetics, Biotechnology and Nanotechnology
Q121. Consider the following statements about Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPSCs): I. They are adult somatic cells genetically reprogrammed to an embryonic stem cell-like state. II. Their creation bypasses the ethical concerns associated with destroying human embryos. III. They can only differentiate into blood cells. Which of the above statement(s) is/are correct?
Explanation
Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells are created by genetically reprogramming specialized adult cells, like skin cells, back into an embryonic-like state. This breakthrough allows for the creation of pluripotent cells without using or destroying embryos, thus avoiding major ethical controversies. However, iPSCs are pluripotent and can potentially differentiate into almost any cell type in the body, which makes certain specialized restrictions incorrect.
RAS PrelimsScience and Technology · Genetics, Biotechnology and Nanotechnology
Q122. The generation of tissues or organs from stem cells to replace damaged ones is the primary goal of:
Explanation
Regenerative medicine is a specialized field of medicine focused on repairing, replacing, or regenerating human cells, tissues, or organs to restore normal function. This often involves using stem cells to create new, healthy tissue that can be transplanted into patients to replace parts damaged by disease, injury, or aging. Examples include growing skin for burn victims or potentially regenerating heart muscle.
RAS PrelimsScience and Technology · Genetics, Biotechnology and Nanotechnology
Q123. Which of the following represents an ethical concern exclusively associated with human embryonic stem cell research?
Explanation
The most prominent and unique ethical challenge associated with human embryonic stem cell research is that the process of isolating these cells currently necessitates the destruction of a five-day-old human embryo. This raises profound moral and religious questions for many people regarding the status of the embryo and the ethics of destroying potential human life, a concern not shared with adult stem cells.
RAS PrelimsScience and Technology · Genetics, Biotechnology and Nanotechnology
Q124. Identify the correct pair regarding stem cell types:
Explanation
The inner cell mass of a blastocyst contains pluripotent stem cells, which can become any cell type in the body. A zygote is actually totipotent, not multipotent. Mesenchymal stem cells are multipotent, as they can form bone, cartilage, and fat, but not a whole organism. Skin stem cells are also multipotent, restricted to regenerating skin-related tissues in various biological organisms.
RAS PrelimsScience and Technology · Genetics, Biotechnology and Nanotechnology
Q125. Which scientist was awarded the Nobel Prize in 2012 for the discovery that mature cells can be reprogrammed to become pluripotent (iPSCs)?
Explanation
Shinya Yamanaka was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2012 for his groundbreaking discovery that mature, specialized cells can be reprogrammed to become pluripotent stem cells. By introducing four specific genes into adult skin cells, he showed it was possible to turn back the developmental clock, creating cells nearly identical to embryonic stem cells. This technology has revolutionized medicine.
RAS PrelimsScience and Technology · Genetics, Biotechnology and Nanotechnology
Q126. Which of the following is not a current or potential therapeutic application of stem cells?
Explanation
While stem cells can regenerate tissues and replace lost cells, such as dopamine neurons in Parkinsons or heart muscle after a heart attack, they cannot correct inherent chromosomal abnormalities in the existing cells of an adult patient. Chromosomal defects are part of the fundamental genetic makeup of all cells in the individual. Stem cell therapy focus is on replacing functional units rather than genome rewriting.
RAS PrelimsScience and Technology · Genetics, Biotechnology and Nanotechnology
Q127. Cord blood banked after childbirth is a rich source of:
Explanation
Cord blood, which is the blood remaining in the umbilical cord and placenta after a baby is born, is a rich and valuable source of hematopoietic stem cells. Like the stem cells found in bone marrow, these cells have the ability to differentiate into all types of blood cells. Many parents choose to bank their childs cord blood for future therapeutic medical use.
RAS PrelimsScience and Technology · Genetics, Biotechnology and Nanotechnology
Q128. The first commercially produced genetically engineered human hormone was:
Explanation
Humulin, human insulin made by recombinant DNA technology, was the first commercially produced genetically engineered human hormone, introduced in the early 1980s.
RAS PrelimsScience and Technology · Genetics, Biotechnology and Nanotechnology
Q129. Match List-I with List-II regarding biotech products and their applications:
Biotech product
Medical application
A. Tissue Plasminogen Activator (tPA)
i. Treatment of diabetes mellitus
B. Erythropoietin
ii. Dissolving blood clots in stroke or heart attack patients
C. Interferons
iii. Stimulating red blood cell production in anemia
D. Humulin
iv. Antiviral and anticancer therapies
Explanation
tPA dissolves blood clots in stroke and heart attack patients, erythropoietin stimulates the production of red blood cells in anaemia, interferons are used in antiviral and anticancer therapy and Humulin treats diabetes. This gives A-ii, B-iii, C-iv, D-i.
RAS PrelimsScience and Technology · Genetics, Biotechnology and Nanotechnology
Q130. Gene therapy was first successfully applied clinically in 1990 to treat a four-year-old girl suffering from:
Explanation
The first successful clinical trial of gene therapy was performed in 1990 on a four-year-old girl named Ashanti DeSilva. She suffered from a rare genetic disorder called Severe Combined Immunodeficiency caused by a deficiency of the enzyme Adenosine Deaminase. In the treatment, her own white blood cells were extracted, genetically corrected with a functional ADA gene, and then reinfused to restore function.
Answer key for these questions
Q
Correct answer
121
(a) I and II only
122
(b) Regenerative medicine
123
(a) It requires the destruction of early-stage human embryos.
124
(c) Inner cell mass of blastocyst - Pluripotent
125
(b) Shinya Yamanaka
126
(d) Correction of chromosomal abnormalities in adult patients
127
(a) Hematopoietic stem cells
128
(c) Insulin (Humulin)
129
(a) A-ii, B-iii, C-iv, D-i
130
(d) Adenosine Deaminase (ADA) deficiency
Key facts from Genetics, Biotechnology and Nanotechnology
Adenine is a purine and pairs with thymine through two hydrogen bonds; the distance between consecutive base pairs in B-DNA is 0.34 nm.
Chargaff’s rule says that adenine equals thymine and guanine equals cytosine; the human karyotype has 22 pairs of autosomes.
Telomeres maintain genomic stability during DNA replication; heterochromatin is the condensed, inactive region.
Humulin was the first commercially produced genetically engineered human hormone.
Totipotency is the capacity of a single plant cell to regenerate a whole plant; the meristem is used to get virus-free plants.
Richard Feynman’s 1959 lecture began nanotechnology; the Nagoya Protocol governs benefit sharing; the US patent on turmeric was revoked after a biopiracy battle.
Frequently asked questions
How many RAS Prelims practice MCQs are there on Genetics, Biotechnology and Nanotechnology?
This page has 179 practice MCQs on Genetics, Biotechnology and Nanotechnology (Science and Technology). Each has the correct answer, and most have an explanation.
How many hydrogen bonds pair adenine with thymine?
Two. Adenine pairs with thymine by two hydrogen bonds, and guanine pairs with cytosine by three, which is why DNA rich in G and C is more stable.
What is totipotency?
The capacity of a single plant cell to regenerate into an entire plant. It is the basis of plant tissue culture, in which cells grown on a nutrient medium form a callus and then shoots and roots.
Which protocol deals with sharing the benefits of genetic resources?
The Nagoya Protocol to the Convention on Biological Diversity. It ensures that the benefits from using genetic resources are shared fairly with the countries and communities that provide them.
