Read the Passage carefully and answer the questions.
Insulin consists of two short polypeptide chains: chain A and chain B, that are linked together by disulphide bridges. The first clinical gene therapy was given in 1990 to a 4-year old girl with adenosine deaminase (ADA) deficiency. This enzyme is crucial for the immune system to function. Recombinant DNA technology, Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and Enzyme Linked Immuno-sorbent Assay (ELISA) are some of the techniques that serve the purpose of early diagnosis of diseases. Transgenic animals that produce useful biological products can be created by the introduction of the portion of DNA (or genes) which codes for a particular product such as human protein (α-1-antitrypsin) used to treat emphysema. Biopiracy is the term used to refer to the use of bio-resources by multinational companies and other organisations without proper authorisation from the countries and people concerned without compensatory payment.
Transgenic animals that produce useful biological products can be created by the introduction of the portion of DNA which codes for a particular product such as human protein (α-1-antitrypsin) which is used to treat:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → Emphysema
Transgenic animals can be made to produce useful biological products. Human protein α-1-antitrypsin, made this way, is used to treat emphysema, a lung disease in which the alveoli are damaged.
Option (1) Phenylketonuria — Incorrect. NCERT says similar attempts are being made for PKU; α-1-antitrypsin is not its treatment.
Option (2) Emphysema — Correct. Transgenic animals are used to make useful biological products. The human protein α-1-antitrypsin, made by transgenic animals, is used to treat emphysema.
Option (3) Cystic fibrosis — Incorrect. Like PKU, it is a disease for which similar attempts are still being made.
Option (4) Adenosine deaminase deficiency — Incorrect. ADA deficiency is treated by gene therapy or enzyme replacement.
Note 1: The passage is taken from NCERT. NTA has put lines of the NCERT text together to make it. Most CUET (UG) questions come straight from NCERT, so study the book line by line, including figures and their titles.
Note 2: A similar question was also asked in CUET (UG) 2025 on 02-06-2025 (Slot 2) and on 30-05-2025 (Slot 1).