Biology · Biotechnology and Its Applications · NEET
No. A hybrid is made by normal sexual crossing of two parents, so the genes mix naturally. A GMO is different because its genes are changed by direct manipulation (genetic engineering), not by breeding. NCERT is exact: GMOs are organisms "whose genes have been altered by manipulation." If no lab manipulation of DNA happened, it is not a GMO.
A GMO is any organism whose genes were altered by manipulation. A transgenic organism is a specific type of GMO that carries an extra foreign gene from another species. So every transgenic organism is a GMO, but the GMO term is broader (it also covers silencing or changing an organism's own genes). NCERT uses "transgenic" mainly for animals with an added foreign gene.
No, and this is a common trap. The NCERT definition lists four groups: plants, bacteria, fungi and animals. For example, GM bacteria make human insulin, GM plants include Bt cotton, and over 95% of transgenic animals are mice. NEET can ask this as a "which is NOT included" question, so remember all four.
Chemical fertilisers and pesticides harm the environment and are expensive. NCERT introduces GMOs as a way to reduce the use of fertilisers and chemicals so their harmful effects are lowered. GM crops can resist pests, tolerate cold or drought, and use minerals better, so the farmer needs fewer chemicals.
It means the DNA is changed on purpose using genetic engineering tools (like recombinant DNA technology from the previous chapter). We may add a gene, remove a gene, or silence a gene. This is deliberate lab work, which is why natural mutation or normal breeding does not make an organism a GMO.
Try the real previous-year questions from this chapter — each with the answer and a full solution.
Plants, bacteria, fungi and animals whose genes have been altered by manipulation are called Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO).
(i) More tolerant to abiotic stresses (cold, drought, salt, heat), (ii) reduced reliance on chemical pesticides (pest-resistant crops), (iii) reduced post-harvest losses, (iv) more efficient mineral use by plants (prevents early loss of soil fertility), and (v) enhanced nutritional value of food, for example golden rice enriched with Vitamin A.
Yes. Bt cotton is a GM crop that carries a toxin gene from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis, making it resistant to certain insect pests. It is a common NEET example of a GMO.
Biotechnology and Its Applications is a high-weightage chapter, and GMO is the foundation concept. Direct one-line questions on the definition, the four groups of organisms, and the five benefits are frequently asked, so this is easy scoring.
