Biotechnology and Its Applications

How the tools of genetic engineering are put to work - a high-yield NEET chapter (typically 3-5 questions/year). It covers biotechnological applications in agriculture (the three options for crop improvement; genetically modified organisms and the benefits of GM plants - abiotic-stress tolerance, reduced dependence on chemical pesticides, reduced post-harvest losses, better mineral-use efficiency and enhanced nutrition such as Golden Rice; Bt crops - Bacillus thuringiensis, the Cry proteins, cry genes and the protoxin-to-toxin activation; and pest-resistant plants using RNA interference against the nematode Meloidogyne incognita); applications in medicine (genetically engineered insulin/Humulin, gene therapy for ADA deficiency, and molecular diagnosis using PCR, ELISA and DNA probes); transgenic animals (why they are made - normal physiology, disease models, biological products such as Rosie's milk, vaccine safety and chemical-safety testing); and the ethical issues (GEAC, biopiracy and the patenting of Basmati, turmeric and neem). Six graded practice sets - two Easy, two Medium, one Hard and one NEET previous-year set - each opening with comprehensive NCERT-anchored notes covering 100% of the current syllabus, followed by single-correct MCQs with full explanations.