Question
Biology Question on Applications of Biotechnology
USA′s patent of brazzein is an example of biopiracy. Brazzein a protein obtained from West African plant, Pentadiplandra brazzeana and the gene encoding it has been patented by USA.
If both assertion and reason are true and reason is the correct explanation of assertion
If both assertion and reason are true but reason is not the correct explanation of assertion
If assertion is true but reason is false
If both assertion and reason are false
If both assertion and reason are true and reason is the correct explanation of assertion
Solution
Brazzein is produced by Pentadiplandra brazzeana and is approximately 2,000 times as sweet as sugar. It is used as a low calorie sweetener. Local people have been using the super sweet berries from their plants for centuries but protein brazzein and the gene coding it is patented in U.S.A. It is proposed to transfer the brazzein gene into maize and express it in maize kernels from where it can be easily extracted. This is an example of biopiracy.