NCERT Solutions for Class 12 Biology Chapter 10 Biotechnology and its Applications

NCERT Solutions for Class 12 Biology Chapter 10 Biotechnology and its Applications

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CBSE Class 12th Exam Date:17 Feb' 26 - 17 Feb' 26

Irshad AnwarUpdated on 22 Sep 2025, 12:58 PM IST

The NCERT Solutions for Class 12 Biology Chapter 10 Biotechnology and Its Applications explain the applications of biotechnology. Biotechnology is used in various fields, such as agriculture, medicine, and industry. Topics such as genetically modified organisms (GMOs), gene therapy, biopesticides, and biofertilizers are added. The NCERT solutions explain the chapter easily with a proper explanation, which is beneficial for the students to perform well in the school exams and competitive exams like NEET.

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This Story also Contains

  1. Download Biotechnology and Its Applications NCERT Solutions PDF
  2. Class 12 Biology Chapter 10 Biotechnology and Its Applications Solutions (Exercise Questions)
  3. Approach to Solve Biotechnology and Its Applications Class 12 Question Answer
  4. Important Question of NCERT Class 12 Biology Chapter 10
  5. What Students Learn from Biotechnology and Its Applications NCERT Solutions
  6. What Extra Should Students Study Beyond the NCERT for NEET?
  7. NCERT Solutions for Class 12 Biology Chapter-wise
NCERT Solutions for Class 12 Biology Chapter 10 Biotechnology and its Applications
NCERT Solutions for Class 12 Biology Chapter 10 Biotechnology and Its Applications

The Biotechnology and Its Applications Class 12 question answer explores how biotechnology is used in day-to-day life and discusses how biotechnology can be used to improve crop yield and produce vaccines. Going through the NCERT Solutions Class 12 Biology helps students understand all the concepts easily without any confusion. All the answers are provided in a simple manner that is useful for further studies as well as for real-life applications.

Download Biotechnology and Its Applications NCERT Solutions PDF

Students can download the questions with detailed answers in a PDF format for better learning. The Class 12 Biology Chapter 10 Biotechnology and Its Applications question answer are a valuable resource for students to score well in their exams.

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Class 12 Biology Chapter 10 Biotechnology and Its Applications Solutions (Exercise Questions)

The detailed answers to all the questions given in the textbook are provided below. Through regular practice of the Class 12 Biology Chapter 10 Biotechnology and Its Applications question answer, which are prepared according to the NCERT curriculum, students can understand the concepts related to biotechnology.

Ques 1: Which part of the plant is best suited for making virus-free plants, and why?

Ans: Meristematic tissue (e.g., shoot apical meristem) is most appropriate for the production of virus-free plants since it is generally free from viral infections. This is because viruses find it difficult to reach actively dividing cells in the meristem.

Ques 2: What is the major advantage of producing plants by micropropagation?

Ans: Micropropagation enables one to produce large numbers of genetically uniform plants rapidly. It can be applied for the propagation of disease-free plants and the conservation of rare or endangered species.

Ques 3: Find out what the various components of the medium used for propagation of an explant in vitro are.

Ans: The medium used for in vitro propagation includes nutrients like sucrose (source of energy), minerals (such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium), vitamins, plant growth regulators (auxins and cytokinins), and agar (gelling agent).

Ques 4: Crystals of Bt toxin produced by some bacteria do not kill the bacteria themselves because-

(a) Bacteria are resistant to the toxin

(b) The toxin is immature

(c) Toxin is inactive

(d) Bacteria enclose toxins in a special sac.

Ans: Bt toxin crystals formed in bacteria do not kill the bacteria because the toxin is inactive. The Bt toxin is in an inactive state inside the bacteria and is only activated when it is ingested by insects, where it is activated by the alkaline pH of the insect gut.

Hence, the correct answer is (c) Toxin is inactive

Ques 5: What are transgenic bacteria? Illustrate using any one example.

Ans: Transgenic bacteria are those whose genomes have been altered by recombinant DNA technology to include foreign genes. A good example is transgenic E. coli, which has been genetically modified to produce human insulin by the introduction of DNA sequences encoding the A and B chains of insulin, thus allowing it to synthesise insulin for the treatment of diabetes.

Transgenic bacteria

Ques 6: Compare and contrast the advantages and disadvantages of the production of genetically modified crops.

Ans: The following table shows the advantages and disadvantages of GM crops:

Advantages

Disadvantages

Increased productivity and yield

Potential risk to wild species due to transgenes

Enhanced nutritional quality (e.g., golden rice)

Possible allergenicity and transfer of antibiotic resistance markers

Insect pest resistance reduces chemical pesticide use

Environmental concerns regarding genetic contamination

Tolerance to abiotic stresses (drought, salinity)

Impact on biodiversity and ecosystem balance

Reduced post-harvest losses

Ethical and Socio-economic problems

Ques 7: What are Cry proteins? Name an organism that produces it. How has man exploited this protein to his benefit?

Ans: Cry proteins are insecticidal proteins carried by the cry genes, which are produced by the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt). They are toxic to many insect larvae, especially those belonging to the order Lepidoptera. Humans have utilised Cry proteins by transferring the cry genes into genetically modified crops like Bt cotton and Bt brinjal, rendering them resistant to certain insect pests.

Ques 8: What is gene therapy? Illustrate using the example of adenosine deaminase (ADA) deficiency.

Ans: Gene therapy includes methods to fix or substitute faulty genes that cause disease occurrence. ADA deficiency, for example, is a result of a mutation in the gene for the adenosine deaminase enzyme. In one important case, a 4-year-old patient received gene therapy in which his lymphocytes were grown, a viable ADA cDNA was introduced with a retroviral vector, and afterwards, these converted cells were administered back into the patient's circulation. The diagram given below illustrates gene therapy for Adenosine deaminase deficiency.

gene therapy

Ques 9: Diagrammatically represent the experimental steps in cloning and expressing a human gene (say the gene for growth hormone) into a bacterium like E. coli.

Ans: Below is the diagram to represent the steps in DNA cloning.

A diagrammatic representation of the steps in DNA cloning

DNA Cloning

Ques 10: Can you suggest a method to remove oil (hydrocarbon) from seeds based on your understanding of rDNA technology and the chemistry of oil?

Ans: By recombinant DNA technology or RNA interference (RNAi), genes controlling oil/fatty acid synthesis in seeds can be silenced, reducing oil content

Ques 11: Find out from the internet what golden rice is.

Ans: Golden Rice is genetically modified rice that produces β-carotene (provitamin A) in its endosperm. It was developed by inserting the psy and crtI genes, helping prevent vitamin A deficiency.

Ques 12: Do our blood cells have proteases and nucleases?

Ans: Blood contains proteases (like thrombin, plasmin) for clotting and nucleases (like DNase) for defense. Their activity is controlled by inhibitors to prevent damage to the body.

Ques 13: Consult the internet and find out how to make orally active protein pharmaceuticals. What is the major problem to be encountered?

Ans: To prepare orally active protein drugs, proteins or peptides are encapsulated in liposomes along with penetration enhancers for oral administration. The principal difficulty encountered is that the proteins can be hydrolysed by the proteases of the stomach before exerting their therapeutic action, which requires alternative routes of administration directly to target locations.

Also, check the NCERT Books and the NCERT Syllabus here:

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Approach to Solve Biotechnology and Its Applications Class 12 Question Answer

To solve the textbook questions effectively, one needs to understand the concepts first. The chapter has important terms, such as GM crops, genetically engineered insulin, and transgenic animals. To understand these definitions clearly, students can refer to the Class 12 Biology Chapter 10 Biotechnology and Its Applications question answer. Making notes of the chapter is important to prepare effectively for the exam. Class 12 Biology Chapter 10 Biotechnology and Its Applications Solutions includes all the solved exercise questions, with to-the-point answers. Therefore, one should practice the NCERT Solutions for class 12 to have an overall idea of the chapter.

NCERT Exemplar Class 12 Solutions

Important Question of NCERT Class 12 Biology Chapter 10

Given below is an important question from this chapter, which helps students understand how questions are framed in the exam. For more such questions, students can refer to the NCERT Solutions for Class 12 Biology Chapter 10 Biotechnology and Its Applications.

Question 1: Which of the following steps are catalysed by Taq DNA polymerase in a PCR reaction?

  1. Denaturation of template DNA

  2. Annealing of primers to template DNA

  3. Extension of the primer end on the template DNA

  4. All of the above

Answer:

The extension of the primer end on the template DNA occurs during DNA replication or PCR amplification. Once the primer binds to the template strand, DNA polymerase extends the primer by adding complementary nucleotides to the growing strand. This process occurs in the 5' to 3' direction, with the polymerase synthesising the new strand based on the template sequence. The extension continues until the entire segment of DNA has been replicated or amplified.

Hence, the correct answer is option (3) Extension of the primer end on the template DNA

NCERT Solutions for Class 12- Subject-wise

What Students Learn from Biotechnology and Its Applications NCERT Solutions

This chapter explains how biotechnology is applied in agriculture, medicine, industry, and research to benefit humans.

  1. Students learn about Bt cotton and how genetically modified crops help in controlling insect pests.

  2. Through the Biotechnology and Its Applications NCERT Solutions, they understand the concept of RNA interference and its role in developing pest-resistant plants.

  3. The chapter explains medical applications like genetically engineered insulin and gene therapy for treating genetic disorders.

  4. Molecular diagnosis techniques such as PCR and ELISA are also discussed for early disease detection.

  5. By studying the Biotechnology and Its Applications Class 12 question answer, learners explore topics like transgenic animals, DNA fingerprinting, and ethical issues.

What Extra Should Students Study Beyond the NCERT for NEET?

Provided below is a table that includes all the topics that students have to study beyond the NCERT for the NEET exam. To gain clarity on the topics, students can refer to the NCERT Solutions for Class 12 Biology Chapter 10 Biotechnology and Its Applications.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: What is gene therapy, and how is it explained in NCERT Biology?
A:

Gene therapy is a technique used to treat genetic disorders by introducing functional genes into a patient’s cells. NCERT Solutions for Class 12 Biology Chapter 10 Biotechnology and Its Applications explains it using ADA deficiency, where a healthy ADA gene is inserted into immune cells to restore function.

Q: What role does biotechnology play in environmental protection?
A:

Biotechnology helps in bioremediation (using microbes to clean pollutants), waste management, and developing biodegradable plastics. It also aids in controlling oil spills and reducing industrial waste. 

Q: What are the key topics covered in NCERT Class 12 Biology Chapter 10?
A:

The NCERT Solutions for Class 12 Biology Chapter 10 Biotechnology and Its Applications covers topics like biotechnological applications in agriculture and medicine, genetically modified organisms (GMOs), gene therapy, RNA interference (RNAi), transgenic animals, bioethics, biopatents, and the Human Genome Project.

Q: How does biotechnology help in agriculture and healthcare?
A:

In agriculture, biotechnology helps develop pest-resistant crops (Bt cotton), biofertilizers, and high-yield varieties. In healthcare, it enables gene therapy, vaccine production, and recombinant medicines like insulin.

Q: What is Bt cotton, and why is it important in biotechnology?
A:

Bt cotton is a genetically modified crop containing Cry genes from Bacillus thuringiensis, which produce insecticidal proteins. It protects crops from bollworm infestations, reducing pesticide use and increasing yield.

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Hello,

The date of 12 exam is depends on which board you belongs to . You should check the exact date of your exam by visiting the official website of your respective board.

Hope this information is useful to you.

Hello,

Class 12 biology questions papers 2023-2025 are available on cbseacademic.nic.in , and other educational website. You can download PDFs of questions papers with solution for practice. For state boards, visit the official board site or trusted education portal.

Hope this information is useful to you.

Hello Pruthvi,

Taking a drop year to reappear for the Karnataka Common Entrance Test (KCET) is a well-defined process. As a repeater, you are fully eligible to take the exam again to improve your score and secure a better rank for admissions.

The main procedure involves submitting a new application for the KCET through the official Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) website when registrations open for the next academic session. You must pay the required application fee and complete all formalities just like any other candidate. A significant advantage for you is that you do not need to retake your 12th board exams. Your previously secured board marks in the qualifying subjects will be used again. Your new KCET rank will be calculated by combining these existing board marks with your new score from the KCET exam. Therefore, your entire focus during this year should be on preparing thoroughly for the KCET to achieve a higher score.

For more details about the KCET Exam preparation, CLICK HERE.

I hope this answer helps you. If you have more queries, feel free to share your questions with us, and we will be happy to assist you.

Thank you, and I wish you all the best in your bright future.

Yes, you can switch from Science in Karnataka State Board to Commerce in CBSE for 12th. You will need a Transfer Certificate from your current school and meet the CBSE school’s admission requirements. Since you haven’t studied Commerce subjects like Accountancy, Economics, and Business Studies, you may need to catch up before or during 12th. Not all CBSE schools accept direct admission to 12th from another board, so some may ask you to join Class 11 first. Make sure to check the school’s rules and plan your subject preparation.



Hello

For the 12th CBSE Hindi Medium board exam, important questions usually come from core chapters like “Madhushala”, “Jhansi ki Rani”, and “Bharat ki Khoj”.
Questions often include essay writing, letter writing, and comprehension passages. Grammar topics like Tenses, Voice Change, and Direct-Indirect Speech are frequently asked.
Students should practice poetry questions on themes and meanings. Important questions also cover summary writing and translation from Hindi to English or vice versa.
Previous years’ question papers help identify commonly asked questions.
Focus on writing practice to improve handwriting and presentation. Time management during exams is key to answering all questions effectively.