UPSC Prelims 2017 · Question 28 of 99
UPSC Prelims 2017 question on Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer
- ExamUPSC CSE
- Year2017
- PaperGeneral Studies Paper I
- SubjectScience and Technology
- TopicBiotechnology
- DifficultyMedium
- TypeDirect
What is the application of Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer Technology?
Show answer
Answer: C. Reproductive cloning of animals
Verdict
The answer is reproductive cloning of animals. Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer is the cloning technique.
Analysis
The technique removes the nucleus, which carries the DNA, from a somatic body cell and implants it into an unfertilised egg whose own nucleus has been removed. The reconstructed egg is then stimulated to develop, producing an organism genetically identical to the donor of the somatic nucleus. This is the method that produced Dolly the sheep. Biolarvicides are microbial pest control agents, biodegradable plastics come from microbial or plant polymers, and producing disease free organisms is achieved through meristem culture or breeding, not nuclear transfer.
Source
The Hindu science education piece on creating genetic copies.
How to crack it
Decode the phrase completely, since somatic means a body cell rather than a germ cell, nuclear transfer means moving the nucleus, and moving a full body cell nucleus into an egg can only produce a genetic copy. The technical name states the mechanism and the mechanism dictates the application. Note also the news hook, the twentieth anniversary of Dolly, which is the kind of anniversary that reliably generates a question.
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