UPSC Prelims previous year questions on Biotechnology & Healthcare (Science & Technology) — real questions with answers and explanations.
2026Multi-statement (Traditional Style)Biotechnology & Healthcare
Which of the following statements with regard to genetic medicine is/are correct?
1. Genetic medicines correct/compensate for the faulty genes responsible for disease.
2. Engineered viruses and lipid nanoparticles are used as carriers of the genetic medicine.
3. Genetic medicines alter the entire DNA sequence.
Select the answer using the code given below:
A.1 only
B.2 and 3 only
C.1 and 2 only
D.1, 2 and 3
Explanation: * Statement 1 is correct: Genetic medicines operate by repairing, compensating for, or turning off specific malfunctioning genes that trigger genetic or terminal diseases. * Statement 2 is correct: Vehicles like engineered viral vectors (e.g., adeno-associated viruses) and lipid nanoparticles are well-established carriers used to transfer therapeutic genetic sequences into target cells safely. * Statement 3 is incorrect: Genetic medicines do not rewrite or modify the entire DNA sequence of an organism; they carry out targeted edits or additions at precise, localized gene segments.
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2026Current AffairsMulti-statement (Traditional Style)Biotechnology & Healthcare
Which of the following statements with regard to GenomeIndia Project is/are correct?
1. It is a part of the Human Genome Project.
2. The project is funded by the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Government of India.
3. Its primary aim is to build a catalogue of genetic diversity of the Indian population.
Select the answer using the code given below:
A.1 only
B.2 and 3 only
C.1 and 2 only
D.1, 2 and 3
Explanation: * Statement 1 is incorrect: The GenomeIndia Project is a completely independent, indigenous initiative; it has no formal links to the global Human Genome Project, which concluded back in 2003. * Statement 2 is correct: The initiative is fully funded by the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) under the Union Ministry of Science and Technology. * Statement 3 is correct: The primary goal of the project is to sequence 10,000 human genomes from diverse ethnic and linguistic groups across India to build a comprehensive reference data repository cataloguing the subcontinent's distinct genetic diversity.
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2025Multi-statement (Traditional Style)Biotechnology & Healthcare
With reference to monoclonal antibodies, often mentioned in news, consider the following statements:
I. They are man-made proteins.
II. They stimulate immunological function due to their ability to bind to specific antigens.
III. They are used in treating viral infections like that of Nipah virus.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
A.I and II only
B.II and III only
C.I and III only
D.I, II and III
Explanation: * Statement I is correct: Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) are laboratory-engineered proteins created to mimic the immune system's natural defense properties. * Statement II is correct: Produced from a single clone of B-cells, they are explicitly designed to bind tightly to specific targeted antigens found on viruses, cancer cells, or bacteria. * Statement III is correct: They are widely used to treat cancers, autoimmune disorders, and dangerous viral infections, including COVID-19, Ebola, and the Nipah virus.
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2025Multi-statement (How Many Style)Biotechnology & Healthcare
Consider the following statements:
I. No virus can survive in ocean waters.
II. No virus can infect bacteria.
III. No virus can change the cellular transcriptional activity in host cells.
How many of the statements given above are correct?
A.Only one
B.Only two
C.All the three
D.None of the above statements is correct
Explanation: * Statement I is incorrect: Viruses are highly abundant and active in ocean waters; marine viruses (especially bacteriophages) are the most numerous biological entities in the ocean and can survive in seawater for extended periods. * Statement II is incorrect: Bacteriophages are viruses that specifically infect, replicate within, and kill bacterial cells. * Statement III is incorrect: Viruses regularly manipulate the host's gene expression and cell transcriptional machinery upon infection to favor viral replication and block host defenses. * Therefore, none of the statements are correct.
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2024Direct Conceptual / Factual MCQBiotechnology & Healthcare
Which one of the following is synthesised in human body that dilates blood vessels and increases blood flow?
A.Nitric oxide
B.Nitrous oxide
C.Nitrogen dioxide
D.Nitrogen pentoxide
Explanation: * (a) Nitric oxide is correct: Nitric oxide (NO) is an essential cell-signaling molecule naturally synthesized within the endothelial lining of human blood vessels. It acts as a powerful vasodilator that relaxes vascular smooth muscle tissue, causing blood vessels to widen, which increases blood flow and safely modulates blood pressure.
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