Question

“Gray biotechnology” is?
a. Industrial process
b. Medical process
c. Agricultural process
d. Aquatic process

Answer 1

Gray biotechnology involves the use of tools and bio remedial technologies to remove pollutants and protect flora and fauna from human activities. It involves the removal of contaminants using plants and microorganisms. It involves the use of microorganisms and other biological systems for waste treatment.

Complete answer:
Gray biotechnology involves industrial processes for producing new chemicals or new fuels for vehicles using bio-organic compounds or natural organisms and plants.

Till now most industrial chemicals have been manufactured from fossil fuels but now it is possible to produce chemicals from biomass feedback by microbial fermentation using genetically engineered microbes.

Biotechnology is also used in agricultural science for producing genetically engineered crops that are high yielding, disease resistant, stress resistant, etc. It is done by introducing a transgene in the genome of an organism. The crop that contains and expresses a transgene is called transgenic crop. The other techniques used for this purpose are molecular diagnostics, tissue culture, use of molecular markers etc.

Biotechnology also has several applications in the field of medicines like the production of genetically engineered insulin. Over 3000 human diseases result from the genetic defects arising from the non-functional proteins and many of these can be administered externally now using various tools and techniques of biotechnology.

Proteins produced by transgenes are called recombinant proteins which are being produced by using transgenic animal cell lines and plants.

Hence, the correct answer is option (A).

Note: Biotechnology is thus, the use of microorganisms, plants or animal cells or their components to generate products and services useful to human beings. During 1970, the technique of recombinant DNA technology was developed.