Which of the following product is not developed by the use of biotechnology?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → Basmati Rice
Option (1) Bt cotton — Developed by biotechnology. Bt cotton is a transgenic crop. A cry gene from Bacillus thuringiensis was put into cotton, so the plant makes its own toxin against bollworms.
Option (2) DNA vaccine — Developed by biotechnology. A DNA vaccine carries a cloned gene of the pathogen. Inside the body this gene makes the antigen, and the immune system responds to it. Making such a vaccine needs recombinant DNA technology.
Option (3) Human protein enriched milk — Developed by biotechnology. Rosie, the first transgenic cow (1997), gave milk containing human alpha-lactalbumin. The human gene was put into the cow by genetic engineering.
Option (4) Basmati Rice — Not developed by biotechnology. Basmati is a traditional variety, made and kept by Indian farmers. A US company that patented a ‘new’ Basmati in 1997 had only crossed Indian Basmati with semi-dwarf varieties; this case is taught as an example of biopiracy, not of a biotechnology product.
NCERT Extract:
Biotechnological Applications in Agriculture – “… Specific Bt toxin genes were isolated from Bacillus thuringiensis and incorporated into the several crop plants such as cotton (Figure 10.1).”
Transgenic Animals – “… In 1997, the first transgenic cow, Rosie, produced human protein-enriched milk (2.4 grams per litre). The milk contained the human alpha-lactalbumin and was nutritionally a more balanced product for human babies than natural cow-milk.”
Ethical Issues – “… Rice is an important food grain, the presence of which goes back thousands of years in Asia’s agricultural history. There are an estimated 200,000 varieties of rice in India alone. The diversity of rice in India is one of the richest in the world. Basmati rice is distinct for its unique aroma and flavour and 27 documented varieties of Basmati are grown in India. There is reference to Basmati in ancient texts, folklore and poetry, as it has been grown for centuries. In 1997, an American company got patent rights on Basmati rice through the US Patent and Trademark Office. This allowed the company to sell a ‘new’ variety of Basmati, in the US and abroad. This ‘new’ variety of Basmati had actually been derived from Indian farmer’s varieties. Indian Basmati was crossed with semi-dwarf varieties and claimed as an invention or a novelty.”