Recombinant DNA technology (Genetic Engineering) allows genes to be transferred
- 1.across different species of plants
- 2.from animals to plants
- 3.from microorganisms to higher organisms
Select the correct answer using the codes given below.
Answer & explanation
Answer: (d) 1, 2 and 3
Recombinant DNA technology moves chosen genes from one organism into another, even between unrelated species. The donor can be a plant, an animal or a microbe, and the recipient can be a plant or an animal. So all three transfers are possible.
- ✓ 1. Selected genes can be moved from one organism into another, including between species. A gene from one plant species can therefore be placed in a different plant species.
- ✓ 2. The technology works across non-related species, so a gene from an animal can be inserted into a plant. Gene origin is not limited to plants.
- ✓ 3. The Bt toxin gene from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis has been cloned and expressed in plants such as cotton to give insect resistance. This is a transfer from a microorganism to a higher organism.
Remember · Genetic engineering is not limited by species barriers. Genes can move between unrelated organisms, such as bacteria to plants (Bt cotton) or animals to plants.
📘 Read it in NCERT: Class 12 Biology, Ch 10 (practise this chapter)
Sources
- WHO – Food, genetically modified (Questions and answers) ↗ “It allows selected individual genes to be transferred from one organism into another, also between nonrelated species.”
- NCERT Class 12 · Biology, Chapter 10 “Bt toxin gene has been cloned from the bacteria and been expressed in plants to provide resistance to insects without the need for insecticides”
Question: UPSC Civil Services (Preliminary) 2013, General Studies Paper I. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 25 Oct 2026 (how we verify). ·
