Which of the following is also known as 'molecular scissors'?

The correct answer is Option (1) → Restriction enzymes

Option (1) Restriction enzymes — Correct. Restriction enzymes cut DNA at specific sequences, much as scissors cut at a chosen place. That is why they are called ‘molecular scissors’.

Note: A similar question was also asked in CUET (UG) 2026 on 26-05-2026 (Slot 1), and in CUET (UG) 2025 on 23-05-2025 (Slot 2).

NCERT Extract:
Principles of Biotechnology – “… Stanley Cohen and Herbert Boyer accomplished this in 1972 by isolating the antibiotic resistance gene by cutting out a piece of DNA from a plasmid which was responsible for conferring antibiotic resistance. The cutting of DNA at specific locations became possible with the discovery of the so-called ‘molecular scissors’- restriction enzymes.”