Biotechnology and its Applications

(d) Golden rice is a transgenic crop of the future with high Vit.

A content.

Millions of people suffer from Vit.

A deficiency which leads to vision impairment.

Transgenic rice has been developed which is capable of synthesizing beta carotene, the precursor of Vitamin A.

The transgenic rice variety is now being crossed with adapted varieties through field tests to make them grow in an year or two.

(d) Golden rice is a transgenic food crop which may help in solving the problem of night blindness in developing countries.

Golden rice or miracle rice is rich in vitamin A or -carotene and iron.

Decaffeinated coffee are also valuable achievements of gene transfer technology.

(a) Transgenic plants are the ones generated by introducing foreign DNA into a cell and regenerating a plant from that cell.

(a) Genetic engineering has been successfully used for producing transgenic mice.

Many transgenic mice are designed to increase our understanding of how genes contribute to development of diseases.

For example transgenic mice are being used to test the safety of polio vaccine.

Transgenic mice are being developed for use in testing the safety of vaccine before they are used in human beings.

(d) Transgenic Rosie is actually cow. Restriction enzymes cut the DNA at specific sites.

(b) In the world, the maximum number of existing transgenic animals is mice.

(b) Genetic Engineering Approval Committee is the body of Government of India.

It regulates GM research and safety of introducing GM organisms for public service in the country.

(c) In 1997, an American company got patent rights on Basmati rice through the US patent and trademark office that was actually been derived from Indian farmer's varieties.

The diversity of rice in India is one of the richest in the world, 27 documented varieties of Basmati are grown in India.

Indian basmati was crossed with semi-dwarf varieties and claimed as an invention or a novelty.

Sharbati sonora and Lerma Rojo are varieties of wheat.

(d) Escherichia coli is a bacterium found in human colon.

On this bacterium scientists have made extensive genetic experiments to make some vital chemicals like insulin.

Another bacterium is Agrobacterium tumefaciens which causes crown gall in plants is extensively used for genetic experiments.

(c) Indian Government has setup organisation such as GEAC (Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee) which will make decisions regarding the validity of GM research and safety of introducing GM-organism for public services.

The Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) functions in the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC).

As per Rules, 1989, it is responsible for appraisal of activities involving large scale use of hazardous microorganisms and recombinants in research and industrial production from the environmental angle.

The committee is also responsible for appraisal of proposals relating to release of genetically engineered (GE) organisms and products into the environment including experimental field trials.

GEAC is chaired by the Special Secretary/ Additional Secretary of MoEF&CC and cochaired by a representative from the Department of Biotechnology (DBT).

Presently, it has 24 members and meets every month to review the applications in the areas indicated above.