Given below are two statements:
Statement I: Genetically Modified Organisms are created by transferring one or more genes from one organism to another, generally using recombinant DNA technology.
Statement II: Transgenic mice are being used to test the safety of the polio vaccine and could replace the use of rabbits for this testing.
In the light of the above statements, choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → Only Statement I is correct.
GMOs are made by moving genes between organisms. Transgenic animals, one kind of GMO, are also used to test whether vaccines are safe before they are used on humans.
Statement I: Genetically Modified Organisms are created by transferring one or more genes from one organism to another, generally using recombinant DNA technology. — True. GMOs are created by methods other than natural ones, moving one or more genes between organisms, usually by recombinant DNA technology.
Statement II: Transgenic mice are being used to test the safety of the polio vaccine and could replace the use of rabbits for this testing. — False. Transgenic mice are being used to test the safety of the polio vaccine, but they could replace the use of monkeys, not rabbits, for testing batches of the vaccine.
NCERT Extract:
Summary – “… Genetically Modified Organisms have been created by using methods other than natural methods to transfer one or more genes from one organism to another, generally using techniques such as recombinant DNA technology.”
Transgenic Animals – “… (iv) Vaccine safety: Transgenic mice are being developed for use in testing the safety of vaccines before they are used on humans. Transgenic mice are being used to test the safety of the polio vaccine. If successful and found to be reliable, they could replace the use of monkeys to test the safety of batches of the vaccine.”