Golden Rice and Biofortification - Unsolved Practice Set
Chapter: Biotechnology and Its Applications | Topic: Golden Rice and Biofortification
GOLDEN RICE AND BIOFORTIFICATION - UNSOLVED PRACTICE SET
Topic: Golden Rice and Biofortification
Multiple Choice Questions
Q1. Golden rice is a genetically modified variety of rice specifically engineered to produce increased levels of:
- Iron
- Beta-carotene (a precursor of vitamin A)
- Vitamin C
- Protein
Q2. Golden rice was primarily developed to help address the public health problem of:
- Iron deficiency
- Vitamin A deficiency
- Protein malnutrition
- Calcium deficiency
Q3. Beta-carotene, produced in golden rice, is significant because it serves as a precursor for:
- Vitamin B12
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin D
- Vitamin K
Q4. Unlike conventional biofortification achieved through selective breeding, golden rice was developed using:
- Only traditional cross-breeding methods
- Genetic engineering techniques, introducing genes for beta-carotene synthesis into the rice genome
- No modification of any kind
- Random natural mutation alone
Q5. Golden rice is specifically engineered to accumulate beta-carotene in which part of the rice grain?
- The husk only
- The endosperm
- The roots
- The leaves only
Short Answer Questions
Q6. What is golden rice, and what specific nutrient deficiency was it developed to address?
Q7. Explain the significance of beta-carotene in golden rice, relating it to vitamin A production in the human body.
Q8. How does golden rice differ from conventionally biofortified crops developed purely through selective breeding?
Q9. Why is vitamin A deficiency considered a significant public health concern in some populations?
Long Answer Questions
Q10. Explain the concept of golden rice, describing how genetic engineering was used to introduce the ability to produce beta-carotene in the rice grain.
Q11. Discuss the potential significance of golden rice as a biofortification strategy for addressing vitamin A deficiency in populations that rely heavily on rice as a staple food.
APPLICATION / ANALYSIS
Q12. In a region where rice is the dominant staple food and vitamin A deficiency is common among children, agricultural authorities consider introducing golden rice cultivation. Explain how this intervention could help address the specific nutritional problem in this population.
Q13. A nutrition policy planner is comparing golden rice with vitamin A supplement distribution programmes as strategies to address vitamin A deficiency in a farming community. Discuss one potential advantage of the golden rice approach for a community that grows its own staple food.