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Q54 (IAS/2020) Science & Technology › Biotechnology & Health › Genetic engineering basics Official Key

Consider the following statements : 1. Genetic changes can be introduced in the cells that produce eggs or sperms of a prospective parent. 2. A person's genome can be edited before birth at the early embryonic stage. 3. Human induced pluripotent stem cells can be injected into the embryo of a pig. Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?

Result
Your answer: —  ·  Correct: D
Explanation

The correct answer is Option 4 (1, 2 and 3) because all three statements describe scientifically established possibilities in modern biotechnology and genetic engineering.

  • Statement 1 is correct: Germline gene editing allows for genetic modifications in gametes (eggs or sperm). Unlike somatic editing, these changes are heritable and passed to future generations. Tools like CRISPR-Cas9 have made such interventions technically feasible.
  • Statement 2 is correct: A person’s genome can be edited at the early embryonic stage (zygote or blastocyst). This was notably demonstrated in 2018 (though controversially) to attempt resistance to certain diseases, proving the technical possibility of pre-birth genome editing.
  • Statement 3 is correct: This refers to the creation of chimeras. Scientists have successfully injected human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) into pig embryos to grow human-compatible organs, aiming to solve the global organ shortage.

Since all three statements represent valid scientific applications or experimental realities, Option 4 is the most comprehensive and accurate choice.

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Don’t just practise – reverse-engineer the question. This panel shows where this PYQ came from (books / web), how the examiner broke it into hidden statements, and which nearby micro-concepts you were supposed to learn from it. Treat it like an autopsy of the question: what might have triggered it, which exact lines in the book matter, and what linked ideas you should carry forward to future questions.
Q. Consider the following statements : 1. Genetic changes can be introduced in the cells that produce eggs or sperms of a prospective parent…
At a glance
Origin: Mostly Current Affairs Fairness: Low / Borderline fairness Books / CA: 0/10 · 6.7/10
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This is a classic 'Future Tech' question where the answer relies on the theoretical scope of technology rather than specific textbook facts. The key is recognizing that in Science & Tech, 'Can be' statements regarding emerging fields (CRISPR, Stem Cells) are almost always correct unless they violate basic laws of physics.

How this question is built

This question can be broken into the following sub-statements. Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.

Statement 1
Can genetic changes be introduced in the human germline cells that produce eggs or sperm of a prospective parent (germline gene editing)?
Origin: Web / Current Affairs Fairness: CA heavy Web-answerable

Web source
Presence: 5/5
"zygote or germline cells, on the other hand, held the potential to transmit genetic changes to future generations."
Why this source?
  • Explicitly states that zygote or germline cells can transmit genetic changes to future generations, directly addressing the core idea of germline editing.
  • Mentions policy responses (prohibitions for clinical use), indicating the passage treats germline editing as a real, actionable possibility.
Web source
Presence: 4/5
"(4) DNA transfer via sperm: sperm is incubated with the foreign gene and injected into the oocyte cytoplasm for fertilisation by ICSI (intracytoplamic sperm injection);"
Why this source?
  • Describes specific laboratory methods for introducing foreign genes via sperm (incubating sperm with the gene and injecting into the oocyte by ICSI), showing technical routes to alter germline cells.
  • Provides concrete procedural context that supports the feasibility of introducing genetic changes into reproductive cells or embryos.
Web source
Presence: 4/5
"there was broad agreement that germline editing of human cells for reproductive purposes was considered"
Why this source?
  • States there was broad agreement that germline editing of human cells for reproductive purposes was considered, indicating the scientific community regards such editing as a realistic application.
  • Distinguishes germline from somatic applications, highlighting germline editing as a distinct, discussed practice.

Science , class X (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 7: How do Organisms Reproduce? > 7.3.3 (a) Male Reproductive System > p. 123
Strength: 4/5
“The male reproductive system (Fig. 7.10) consists of portions which produce the germ-cells and other portions that deliver the germ-cells to the site of fertilisation. The formation of germ-cells or sperms takes place in the testes. These are located outside the abdominal cavity in scrotum because sperm formation requires a lower temperature than the normal body temperature. We have discussed the role of the testes in the secretion of the hormone, testosterone, in the previous chapter. In addition to regulating the formation of sperms, testosterone brings about changes in appearance seen in boys at the time of puberty. The sperms formed are delivered through the vas deferens which unites with a tube coming from the urinary bladder.”
Why relevant

Identifies where human germ cells (sperms) are produced (testes) and that spermatogenesis is a defined physiological process.

How to extend

A student could use this to ask whether interventions (e.g., gene editing) targeted to the testes could alter sperm DNA prior to fertilisation.

Science , class X (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 7: How do Organisms Reproduce? > 7.3.2 Sexual Reproduction in Flowering Plants > p. 121
Strength: 4/5
“The swollen bottom part is the ovary, middle elongated part is the style and the terminal part which may be sticky is the stigma. The ovary contains ovules and each ovule has an egg cell. The male germ-cell produced by pollen grain fuses with the female gamete present in the ovule. This fusion of the germ-cells or fertilisation gives us the zygote which is capable of growing into a new plant. Thus the pollen needs to be transferred from the stamen to the stigma. If this transfer of pollen occurs in the same flower, it is referred to as self-pollination.”
Why relevant

Describes female germ cells (eggs) residing in ovaries and the site of fertilisation (fallopian tube) in humans.

How to extend

One could extend this by considering whether gene-altering interventions to ovarian eggs or pre-fertilisation gametes might change the genetic material passed on.

Science ,Class VIII . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 13: Our Home: Earth, a Unique Life Sustaining Planet > Special cells for reproduction > p. 221
Strength: 5/5
“You might wonder if both parents pass on their genetic material for making a new organism, won't the child end up with double the amount of instructions? And would not this keep doubling every generation? This does not happen because each parent makes specialised reproductive cells, called gametes. These carry only half of the parent's genetic material . When male and female gametes join, they form a new cell with a complete set of instructions—half from each parent. Fig. 13.11: Vegetative propagation — (a) Ginger; (b) Potato”
Why relevant

Explains that gametes carry only half the parent's genetic material and combine at fertilisation to form a complete set.

How to extend

A student can infer that changing the DNA in gametes would alter the genetic input to the zygote and thus be inherited.

Science , class X (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 8: Heredity > separate traits, shape and colour of seeds Figure 8.5 > p. 132
Strength: 5/5
“inherited. This is explained by the fact that each gene set is present, not as a single long thread of DNA, but as separate independent pieces, each called a chromosome. Thus, each cell will have two copies of each chromosome, one each from the male and female parents. Every germcell will take one chromosome from each pair and these may be of either maternal or paternal origin. When two germ cells combine, they will restore the normal number of chromosomes in the progeny, ensuring the stability of the DNA of the species. Such a mechanism of inheritance explains the results of the Mendel experiments, and is used by all sexually reproducing organisms.”
Why relevant

States germ cells take one chromosome from each pair so that progeny restore the normal chromosome number—highlighting the mechanism by which parental DNA is transmitted.

How to extend

This suggests that modifying chromosomes in germ cells could be propagated into the offspring's genome; a student could combine this with knowledge of editing tools to evaluate feasibility.

Indian Economy, Nitin Singhania .(ed 2nd 2021-22) > Chapter 9: Agriculture > GENETICALLY MODIFIED (GM) CROPS > p. 301
Strength: 4/5
“• According to WHO, Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) are the plants, animals or microorganisms in which the hereditary material (DNA) is altered in a manner that does not happen normally by mating or potentially regular recombination. It is also known as modern biotechnology/gene technology.• When genetic modification of a plant is performed, foreign gene (transgene) or gene of some other organism is artificially inserted into the plant's own genes. This is gene modification.”
Why relevant

Defines genetic modification as altering hereditary material (DNA) in a way not occurring by normal mating or recombination.

How to extend

A student could use this definition to frame germline editing as a form of genetic modification and then compare plant/animal examples to infer analogous possibilities in human germ cells.

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SIMILAR QUESTIONS

IAS · 2002 · Q7 Relevance score: 0.62

With reference to the latest developments in stem cell research, consider the following statements: 1. The only source of human stem cells are the embryos at blastocyst stage 2. The stem cells can be derived a without causing destruction to blastocysts 3. The stem cells can regenerate themselves in vitro virtually forever 4. Indian research centres also created a few cell lines which can be developed into many types of tissues Which of these statements are correct?

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In the context of hereditary diseases, consider the following statements : 1. Passing on mitochondrial diseases from parent to child can be prevented by mitochondrial replacement therapy either before or after in vitro fertilization of egg. 2. A child inherits mitochondrial diseases entirely from mother and not from father. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

CDS-I · 2003 · Q109 Relevance score: -1.41

With reference to normal human beings, consider the following statements: I. In males, testosterone is secreted into the blood by Leydig cells. II. In females, the cells of the corpus luteum secrete estrogen into the blood. III. The fertilised ovum gets implanted on the wall of uterus at the blastocyst stage. Which of these statements are correct?

CDS-I · 2006 · Q55 Relevance score: -1.99

Consider the following statements 1. Light waves can travel in vacuum. 2. Light waves can be refracted. 3. Light waves are electromagnetic. Which of the statements given above are correct ?

IAS · 1994 · Q116 Relevance score: -2.22

Assertion (A) : A lock of Einstein’s hair, if scientists could locate it and extract its DNA, could help in producing another Einstein, by cloning. Reason (R) : The DNA extracted from the cell of an embryo at an early stage of development, can be transferred to individual eggs which in turn can be implanted into the uterus of a surrogate mother to give birth to an identical off spring. In the context of the above two statements, which one of the following is correct ?