Biotechnological Applications In Agriculture

Question

The cry genes introduced into transgenic cotton plants to provide protection against bollworm attack are originally derived from which microorganism?

RankGuru · Accepted Answer

Bt cotton is a genetically modified crop carrying cry genes obtained from the soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis, as described in NCERT Class 12, Chapter 11 (Biotechnology and its Applications). These genes encode crystalline (Cry) proteins that act as insecticidal toxins against specific groups of insects such as lepidopterans, coleopterans and dipterans. By incorporating the relevant cry gene into cotton, the plant itself produces the toxin and becomes resistant to bollworm without external chemical spraying. Agrobacterium tumefaciens is used merely as a vector to deliver genes into plant cells, not as the source of the toxin gene, so it is incorrect. Escherichia coli is a laboratory host bacterium for cloning and protein production, not the natural origin of cry genes. Thermus aquaticus is the source of the heat-stable Taq polymerase used in PCR, which is unrelated to insect resistance. A consistency check confirms the logic: the toxin must come from an organism that naturally produces an insecticidal protein, and only B. thuringiensis fits this requirement among the options.

Biotechnological Applications In Agriculture

Select the correct option:

🔒 Solution Hidden from View

More biotechnology and its applications Practice Questions

Which broad goal of modern biotechnology aims to reduce the use of chemical pesticides while increas...

Genetically modified plants engineered to tolerate abiotic stresses would be expected to grow succes...

The crystalline Cry protein ingested by an insect remains inactive until it is converted into an act...

Genetically engineered Golden Rice was developed primarily to combat a widespread deficiency by enri...

The first genetically modified food crop approved for commercial sale, engineered for delayed ripeni...

RNA interference used to develop nematode-resistant tobacco plants protects them specifically agains...

In the gene therapy used for adenosine deaminase deficiency, why must the corrective treatment be ad...

When a radioactively or fluorescently labelled single-stranded probe binds a mutated gene on a patie...

A clinician begins a PCR-based diagnostic test with a single double-stranded DNA molecule; how many ...

Transgenic animals are commonly created in biological research for several defined purposes; which o...

In India, the organisation responsible for approving genetically modified research and the safety of...

In recombinant DNA production of human insulin in bacteria, the two polypeptide chains are synthesis...

About This Question

Solution