Biotechnological Applications in Health and Medicine – Human insulin and vaccine production: NEET MCQs with Answers

15 free questions on Biotechnological Applications in Health and Medicine – Human insulin and vaccine production for NEET (UG), starting with previous-year NEET and AIPMT questions. Try each one, then tap Show answer for the answer and a short explanation.

Syllabus covered: Human insulin and vaccine production, gene therapy;

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Question 1

Previous-year question
Which of the following statements is NOT correct? [NEET 2020]
  1. Proinsulin has an extra peptide called the C peptide.
  2. In functional insulin, chains A and B are linked together by hydrogen bonds.
  3. Genetically engineered insulin is produced in E. coli.
  4. In man, insulin is synthesised as a proinsulin.
Show answer
Answer: (B) In functional insulin, chains A and B are linked together by hydrogen bonds.
Explanation: The A and B chains of mature insulin are held together by disulphide bridges, not hydrogen bonds; the C peptide of proinsulin is removed during maturation.

Question 2

Previous-year question
Which feature of the genetic code allows bacteria to produce human insulin by recombinant DNA technology? [NEET 2019]
  1. The genetic code is not ambiguous.
  2. The genetic code is redundant.
  3. The genetic code is nearly universal.
  4. The genetic code is specific.
Show answer
Answer: (C) The genetic code is nearly universal.
Explanation: Because the same codons specify the same amino acids in almost all organisms, a human gene introduced into a bacterium is translated into the same polypeptide there.

Question 3

Previous-year question
The first human hormone produced by recombinant DNA technology is [AIPMT 2014]
  1. Insulin
  2. Estrogen
  3. Thyroxin
  4. Progesterone
Show answer
Answer: (A) Insulin
Explanation: Human insulin was the first recombinant hormone; the A and B chain genes were expressed separately in E. coli and the chains were then joined by disulphide bonds.

Question 4

Previous-year question
The term ‘humulin’ is used for [AIPMT 1999]
  1. a hydrolytic enzyme
  2. a powerful antibiotic
  3. human insulin
  4. an isoenzyme
Show answer
Answer: (C) human insulin
Explanation: Human insulin, marketed as humulin, was the first therapeutic product produced by means of recombinant DNA technology, by Eli Lilly and Co. on July 5, 1983.

Question 5

Previous-year question
Consider the following statements about biomedical technologies. [AIPMT 2008] (i) During open heart surgery blood is circulated in the heart-lung machine. (ii) Blockage in coronary arteries is removed by angiography. (iii) Computerised axial tomography (CAT) shows detailed internal structure as seen in a section of the body. (iv) X-ray provides clear and detailed images of organs like prostate glands and lungs.
  1. (ii) and (iv)
  2. (iii) and (iv)
  3. (i) and (iii)
  4. (i) and (ii)
Show answer
Answer: (C) (i) and (iii)
Explanation: Statements (i) and (iii) are correct. Angiography is only a medical imaging technique used to visualise the inside of blood vessels; it does not remove blockages. X-ray imaging gives images in different shades of black and white and does not give a clear picture of soft organs.

Question 6

Previous-year question
Human insulin is being commercially produced from a transgenic species of [AIPMT 2008]
  1. Rhizobium
  2. Saccharomyces
  3. Escherichia
  4. Mycobacterium
Show answer
Answer: (C) Escherichia
Explanation: In 1983 the American company Eli Lilly produced the first genetically engineered insulin by synthesising two DNA sequences corresponding to the α and β chains of human insulin, fusing them with plasmids of Escherichia coli and later joining the chains to form human insulin.

Question 7

Previous-year question
The genetic defect adenosine deaminase (ADA) deficiency may be cured permanently by [AIPMT 2009]
  1. periodic infusion of genetically engineered lymphocytes having functional ADA cDNA
  2. administering adenosine deaminase activators
  3. introducing bone marrow cells producing ADA into cells at early embryonic stages
  4. enzyme replacement therapy
Show answer
Answer: (C) introducing bone marrow cells producing ADA into cells at early embryonic stages
Explanation: ADA deficiency may be cured permanently by introducing bone marrow cells producing ADA into cells at early embryonic stages, because bone marrow cells are capable of producing all blood cell types including T-lymphocytes. Infusion of engineered lymphocytes gives only temporary relief.
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Question 8

Previous-year question
A DNA or RNA segment tagged with a radioactive molecule is called a [AIPMT 2010]
  1. vector
  2. probe
  3. clone
  4. plasmid
Show answer
Answer: (B) probe
Explanation: A short single-stranded DNA or RNA tagged with a radioactive molecule, used to detect the complementary strand, is called a probe.

Question 9

Previous-year question
Which one of the following is now being commercially produced by biotechnological procedures? [AIPMT 2010]
  1. Nicotine
  2. Morphine
  3. Quinine
  4. Insulin
Show answer
Answer: (D) Insulin
Explanation: Insulin is now commercially produced by genetic engineering. In mammals it is synthesised as a prohormone containing an extra stretch called the C-peptide, which is removed during maturation; the major problem for rDNA production was getting insulin assembled in mature form.

Question 10

Previous-year question
A single strand of nucleic acid tagged with a radioactive molecule is called a [AIPMT 2012]
  1. vector
  2. selectable marker
  3. plasmid
  4. probe
Show answer
Answer: (D) probe
Explanation: Probes are 15–30 base-long radioactively labelled oligonucleotides (RNA or DNA) used to detect a complementary nucleotide sequence. They are usually labelled with radioisotopes, epitopes, biotin or fluorophores so that they can be detected.

Question 11

Previous-year question
The first clinical gene therapy was given for treating [AIPMT 2012]
  1. diabetes mellitus
  2. chicken pox
  3. rheumatoid arthritis
  4. adenosine deaminase deficiency
Show answer
Answer: (D) adenosine deaminase deficiency
Explanation: The first clinical gene therapy was given for the treatment of ADA deficiency. It is a collection of methods that allows correction of a gene defect diagnosed in a child or embryo by delivering a normal gene to compensate for the non-functional one.

Question 12

Previous-year question
Which one of the following vectors is used to replace the defective gene in gene therapy? [NEET 2013]
  1. Adenovirus
  2. Cosmid
  3. Ri-plasmid
  4. Ti-plasmid
Show answer
Answer: (A) Adenovirus
Explanation: Gene therapy is given to patients with diseases caused by gene defects. Viral vectors such as adenovirus are generally used to deliver the normal gene into the individual’s cells and tissues, where it takes over the function of the defective gene.

Question 13

Previous-year question
The first human hormone produced by recombinant DNA technology is [AIPMT 2014]
  1. insulin
  2. oestrogen
  3. thyroxin
  4. progesterone
Show answer
Answer: (A) insulin
Explanation: The first human hormone produced by recombinant DNA technology is insulin, a peptide hormone which controls the level of sugar in the blood. It is formed by joining two polypeptide chains through disulphide bonds.

Question 14

Previous-year question
Which kind of therapy was given in 1990 to a four-year-old girl with Adenosine Deaminase (ADA) deficiency? [NEET 2016 Phase-II]
  1. Gene therapy
  2. Chemotherapy
  3. Immunotherapy
  4. Radiation therapy
Show answer
Answer: (A) Gene therapy
Explanation: The first clinical gene therapy was given in 1990 to a four-year-old girl with adenosine deaminase deficiency. Gene therapy allows correction of a gene defect diagnosed in a child or embryo by inserting a normal healthy functional gene to replace the faulty one.

Question 15

Previous-year question
The two polypeptides of human insulin are linked together by [NEET 2016 Phase-I]
  1. phosphodiester bonds
  2. covalent bonds
  3. disulphide bridges
  4. hydrogen bonds
Show answer
Answer: (C) disulphide bridges
Explanation: In humans insulin is produced by the β-cells of the pancreas. It is synthesised as a prohormone in which the two polypeptides carry an extra stretch of C-peptide; during maturation this stretch is removed and the two chains A and B are linked by disulphide linkages.

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