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Biotechnology and Its Applications

NCERT Class 12 Biology Chapter 10

Biotechnology and Its Applications for Class 12 Biology and NEET: tissue culture, Bt crops, RNAi, insulin, gene therapy, transgenic animals and biopiracy.

4 topics Updated 8 Nov 2026

For: Class 12 and NEET

In the syllabus: NEET Class 12 syllabus

With your textbook

NCERT Biology (Class 12), Chapter 10 “Biotechnology and Its Applications”, reprint 2026-27.

Open the official NCERT chapter (PDF, 1.5 MB, ncert.nic.in)

Checked on 19 Oct 2026.

Learn in this order

  1. Biotechnological applications in agriculture

    Biotechnology in agriculture for Class 12 Biology and NEET: tissue culture, somatic hybrids, GM crops, Bt cotton and cry genes, RNAi, with diagrams.

    NCERT Section 10.1 14 min read 3 solved examples 8 practice questions

  2. Biotechnological applications in medicine

    Biotechnology in medicine for Class 12 Biology and NEET: genetically engineered insulin with a diagram, ADA gene therapy, PCR, probes and ELISA.

    NCERT Section 10.2 12 min read 3 solved examples 8 practice questions

  3. Transgenic animals

    Transgenic animals for Class 12 Biology and NEET: what they are, which animals are used, their five uses, alpha-1-antitrypsin, Rosie the transgenic cow.

    NCERT Section 10.3 9 min read 3 solved examples 8 practice questions

  4. Ethical issues: biosafety, patents and biopiracy

    Ethical issues in biotechnology for Class 12 Biology and NEET: GEAC and GM safety, patents on biological resources, the Basmati patent and biopiracy.

    NCERT Section 10.4 8 min read 3 solved examples 8 practice questions

Key formulas in this chapter

Biotechnology in agriculture

  • totipotency: a whole plant from any cell
  • micropropagation: identical somaclones
  • virus-free plants: meristem culture
  • fused protoplasts: somatic hybrid
  • Bt protoxin: activated by alkaline insect gut
  • cryIAc, cryIIAb: cotton bollworms
  • RNAi: dsRNA silences a specific mRNA

Biotechnology in medicine

  • insulin: chains A and B, disulphide bridges
  • pro-insulin: C peptide removed
  • ADA gene therapy, 1990: lymphocytes
  • vector for ADA cDNA: retrovirus
  • ELISA: antigen-antibody interaction
  • copies after n cycles = 2n × start

Transgenic animals

  • transgenic animal: expresses a foreign gene
  • most transgenic animals: mice
  • α-1-antitrypsin: used to treat emphysema (NCERT)
  • Rosie, 1997: human alpha-lactalbumin
  • Rosie’s milk: 2.4 g protein per litre
  • transgenic mice: polio vaccine safety

Ethical issues

  • GEAC: validity of GM research, safety of GM release
  • biopiracy: no authorisation, no payment
  • Basmati patent: US company, 1997
  • India: 27 documented Basmati varieties
  • second amendment: Indian Patents Bill

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