Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering MCQs 2026

The main goal of pharmacogenomics, a branch of biotechnology, is to

1. A Clone entire human organs ✓
2. B Tailor drug therapy based on an individual's genetic makeup ✓
3. C Produce genetically modified crops ✓
4. D Sequence bacterial genomes only ✓

Northern blotting, similar to Southern blotting, is used specifically to detect and analyze

1. A DNA fragments ✓
2. B RNA molecules ✓
3. C Protein fragments ✓
4. D Lipid molecules ✓

Which of the following best explains why bacteria are commonly chosen as hosts in recombinant DNA technology

1. A They have a nucleus that protects foreign DNA ✓
2. B They cannot reproduce quickly ✓
3. C They reproduce rapidly and are easy to genetically manipulate ✓
4. D They naturally produce human hormones ✓

Which vector is commonly used to introduce foreign genes specifically into animal cells, including in gene therapy

1. A Ti plasmid ✓
2. B Bacterial plasmid only ✓
3. C Cosmid ✓
4. D Modified virus (viral vector) ✓

Which of the following statements about GMOs (genetically modified organisms) is correct

1. A All GMOs are produced solely through traditional selective breeding ✓
2. B GMOs cannot carry genes from a different species ✓
3. C GMO crops cannot be regulated by any government agency ✓
4. D GMOs contain genetic material altered using genetic engineering techniques ✓

The technique of amplifying and copying a gene of interest by inserting it into a bacterial plasmid host is called

1. A Gene knockout ✓
2. B Gene cloning ✓
3. C Gene therapy ✓
4. D Gene silencing ✓

Biosafety regulations for genetically modified organisms (GMOs) primarily aim to assess risks to

1. A Only the profitability of biotech companies ✓
2. B The speed of crop growth ✓
3. C Human health and the environment ✓
4. D The taste of the modified food product ✓

Which of the following best describes induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs)

1. A Stem cells extracted directly from a human embryo ✓
2. B Adult somatic cells reprogrammed to an embryonic stem-cell-like state ✓
3. C Stem cells found only in umbilical cord blood ✓
4. D Cancerous cells with unlimited totipotency ✓

In vitro fertilization (IVF) combined with genetic screening of embryos before implantation is known as

1. A Somatic cell nuclear transfer ✓
2. B Gene knockout screening ✓
3. C Southern blotting ✓
4. D Preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) ✓

A genetic marker used in biotechnology research refers to

1. A A physical tag attached to a chromosome during mitosis ✓
2. B An enzyme that repairs mutated DNA ✓
3. C A hormone that regulates gene expression ✓
4. D A known DNA sequence used to identify a gene, individual, or trait ✓

Which of the following crops was one of the first commercially grown genetically modified food crops

1. A Wheat ✓
2. B Soybean (herbicide-tolerant) ✓
3. C Barley ✓
4. D Sugarcane ✓

Somatic cell nuclear transfer, the technique used to create Dolly the sheep, involves

1. A Fusing two sperm cells together ✓
2. B Injecting a virus into an egg cell ✓
3. C Transferring the nucleus of a body cell into an enucleated egg cell ✓
4. D Mixing DNA from two different species randomly ✓

Which of the following is a widely used selectable marker gene in plant genetic engineering to identify transformed cells

1. A A gene for flower color only ✓
2. B A gene causing cell death ✓
3. C An antibiotic resistance gene ✓
4. D A gene for chlorophyll production only ✓

In recombinant DNA technology, the desired gene and the vector must be cut with the same

1. A DNA polymerase ✓
2. B DNA ligase ✓
3. C Restriction enzyme ✓
4. D Reverse transcriptase ✓

Which of the following best defines biotechnology

1. A The use of living organisms or their products to develop useful products/processes ✓
2. B The study of fossils and ancient life forms ✓
3. C The classification of organisms into taxonomic groups ✓
4. D The study of ecosystems and their interactions ✓

A transgenic animal engineered to produce a therapeutic human protein in its milk is an example of

1. A Biopharming (molecular farming) ✓
2. B Gene knockout technology ✓
3. C Tissue culture ✓
4. D Bioremediation ✓

The Nobel Prize for developing the CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing tool was awarded to

1. A Jennifer Doudna and Emmanuelle Charpentier ✓
2. B James Watson and Francis Crick ✓
3. C Kary Mullis and Frederick Sanger ✓
4. D Ian Wilmut and Alec Jeffreys ✓

Which of the following is an example of a first-generation (input trait) genetically modified crop

1. A Golden rice ✓
2. B Bt cotton (pest resistance) ✓
3. C Vitamin-fortified banana ✓
4. D Drought-tolerant biofortified wheat ✓

Reverse transcriptase, an enzyme used to synthesize cDNA from mRNA in genetic engineering, is naturally found in

1. A Bacteriophages ✓
2. B Retroviruses ✓
3. C Plasmids ✓
4. D Fungal cells ✓

Which biotechnology technique allows exponential amplification of a specific DNA segment in vitro without using living cells

1. A Gel electrophoresis ✓
2. B Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) ✓
3. C Southern blotting ✓
4. D Hybridoma technology ✓

In genetic engineering, a vector refers to a DNA molecule used to

1. A Carry a foreign gene into a host cell ✓
2. B Cut DNA at specific sequences ✓
3. C Amplify RNA into cDNA ✓
4. D Stain DNA fragments for visualization ✓

Restriction enzymes are naturally produced by bacteria primarily to

1. A Defend against invading bacteriophage DNA ✓
2. B Assist in bacterial conjugation ✓
3. C Repair damaged DNA ✓
4. D Regulate the bacterial cell cycle ✓

The first genetically engineered pharmaceutical product approved for human use was recombinant

1. A Growth hormone ✓
2. B Interferon ✓
3. C Human insulin ✓
4. D Erythropoietin ✓

Which of the following best describes the primary ethical concern surrounding human cloning

1. A High cost of the cloning procedure ✓
2. B Difficulty in sourcing donor cells ✓
3. C Questions of identity, consent, and potential misuse ✓
4. D Long duration of the cloning process ✓

A gene knockout experiment refers to

1. A Inserting multiple copies of a gene into an organism ✓
2. B Doubling the chromosome number of an organism ✓
3. C Inactivating or disabling a specific gene to study its function ✓
4. D Amplifying a gene using PCR ✓

Tissue culture technique in plant biotechnology relies on the property of plant cells called

1. A Totipotency ✓
2. B Apoptosis ✓
3. C Meiosis ✓
4. D Osmosis ✓

Bioremediation refers to the use of living organisms, especially microbes, to

1. A Produce genetically modified crops ✓
2. B Manufacture monoclonal antibodies ✓
3. C Clone endangered species ✓
4. D Clean up and detoxify polluted environments ✓

ELISA (Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay) is primarily used in biotechnology to

1. A Detect and quantify specific antigens or antibodies ✓
2. B Amplify DNA fragments ✓
3. C Sequence protein structures ✓
4. D Cut DNA at specific sites ✓

RNA interference (RNAi) is a biological process in which

1. A RNA is converted into DNA ✓
2. B mRNA is translated into protein at a faster rate ✓
3. C Small RNA molecules silence gene expression ✓
4. D RNA polymerase synthesizes new RNA strands ✓

Which term describes an organism that carries a gene artificially inserted from another species

1. A Hybrid organism ✓
2. B Mutant organism ✓
3. C Clone ✓
4. D Transgenic organism ✓

The Sanger method, a classical technique for determining the nucleotide sequence of DNA, relies on

1. A Restriction enzyme digestion patterns only ✓
2. B Amplification using thermostable polymerase ✓
3. C Chain-termination using dideoxynucleotides ✓
4. D Hybridization with radioactive probes only ✓

In Southern blotting, the technique is specifically used to detect specific sequences of

1. A Proteins ✓
2. B DNA ✓
3. C RNA only ✓
4. D Carbohydrates ✓

Gene therapy is a biotechnological approach that aims to

1. A Treat or prevent disease by correcting or replacing defective genes ✓
2. B Produce transgenic animals only ✓
3. C Clone entire organisms ✓
4. D Sequence an organism's complete genome ✓

Golden rice is a genetically modified crop engineered to produce higher levels of

1. A Beta-carotene (provitamin A) ✓
2. B Vitamin C ✓
3. C Iron ✓
4. D Protein ✓

Agrobacterium tumefaciens is widely used in plant genetic engineering because of its natural ability to

1. A Fix atmospheric nitrogen ✓
2. B Transfer its Ti plasmid DNA into plant cells ✓
3. C Produce antibiotics ✓
4. D Cause viral infections in plants ✓

DNA fingerprinting, used in forensic and paternity testing, was pioneered by

1. A James Watson ✓
2. B Kary Mullis ✓
3. C Ian Wilmut ✓
4. D Alec Jeffreys ✓

Monoclonal antibodies, identical antibodies derived from a single clone of cells, are produced using

1. A PCR amplification ✓
2. B Gel electrophoresis ✓
3. C CRISPR gene editing ✓
4. D Hybridoma technology ✓

Human insulin produced through recombinant DNA technology is typically manufactured using genetically engineered

1. A Yeast cells only ✓
2. B Escherichia coli bacteria ✓
3. C Human liver cells ✓
4. D Mouse embryonic cells ✓

Stem cells that can give rise to almost all cell types but not extra-embryonic tissue are called

1. A Totipotent ✓
2. B Multipotent ✓
3. C Unipotent ✓
4. D Pluripotent ✓

Stem cells that can differentiate into any cell type of the body, including extra-embryonic tissue, are called

1. A Totipotent ✓
2. B Pluripotent ✓
3. C Multipotent ✓
4. D Unipotent ✓

The CRISPR-Cas9 system was adapted for gene editing based on a natural defense mechanism found in

1. A Human white blood cells ✓
2. B Plant cells ✓
3. C Bacteria (against bacteriophages) ✓
4. D Fungal spores ✓

CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing technology allows scientists to

1. A Only read DNA sequences without altering them ✓
2. B Amplify DNA fragments exponentially ✓
3. C Separate DNA fragments by size ✓
4. D Precisely cut and edit specific DNA sequences ✓

Bt cotton is genetically modified to express a toxin gene derived from

1. A Escherichia coli ✓
2. B Agrobacterium tumefaciens ✓
3. C Saccharomyces cerevisiae ✓
4. D Bacillus thuringiensis ✓

The Human Genome Project was primarily aimed at

1. A Mapping and sequencing all genes in human DNA ✓
2. B Cloning the first human being ✓
3. C Producing genetically modified crops ✓
4. D Developing monoclonal antibodies ✓

Dolly the sheep, the first mammal cloned from an adult somatic cell, was created by

1. A James Watson ✓
2. B Kary Mullis ✓
3. C Alec Jeffreys ✓
4. D Ian Wilmut ✓

Which technique separates DNA fragments based on their size using an electric field

1. A Southern blotting ✓
2. B PCR ✓
3. C Gel electrophoresis ✓
4. D DNA sequencing ✓

The Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), used to amplify DNA, was developed by

1. A James Watson ✓
2. B Francis Crick ✓
3. C Kary Mullis ✓
4. D Frederick Sanger ✓

Plasmids, commonly used as vectors in genetic engineering, are best described as

1. A Linear chromosomal DNA found in the nucleus ✓
2. B Small circular extra-chromosomal DNA found in bacteria ✓
3. C RNA molecules found in viruses ✓
4. D Protein complexes that replicate DNA ✓

The enzyme used to join (seal) DNA fragments together during recombinant DNA technology is

1. A DNA polymerase ✓
2. B Restriction endonuclease ✓
3. C Reverse transcriptase ✓
4. D DNA ligase ✓

Restriction enzymes used in genetic engineering function by

1. A Cutting DNA at specific recognition sequences ✓
2. B Joining DNA fragments together ✓
3. C Synthesizing new DNA strands ✓
4. D Unwinding the DNA double helix ✓