Insulin used in earlier times caused some patients to develop allergies because -
(A). It was extracted from the pancreas of slaughtered cattle.
(B). It was a foreign protein for the body of the patient.
(C). It was a foreign lipid molecule for the body of the patient
(D). It consists of two polynucleotide chains held together by disulphide bridges
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → (A) and (B) only
(A). It was extracted from the pancreas of slaughtered cattle. — Correct. Before rDNA technology, insulin for diabetes was taken from the pancreas of slaughtered cattle and pigs. This animal insulin is not identical to human insulin.
(B). It was a foreign protein for the body of the patient. — Correct. The patient’s immune system saw the animal insulin as a foreign protein, so some patients developed allergy or other reactions.
(C). It was a foreign lipid molecule for the body of the patient — Incorrect. Insulin is a hormone made of polypeptide chains. It is a protein, not a lipid.
(D). It consists of two polynucleotide chains held together by disulphide bridges — Incorrect. Insulin has two short polypeptide chains, A and B, joined by disulphide bridges. Polynucleotide chains are chains of nucleotides, as in DNA and RNA. Besides, this structure does not explain the allergy. One word, ‘polynucleotide’ in place of ‘polypeptide’, makes a true line about insulin false. Check each term before you accept a statement.
NCERT Extract:
Genetically Engineered Insulin – …
