Frank Brothers Solutions for ICSE Class 9 Biology Chapter 6 Biotechnology Applications

PAGE NO: 53

Question 1:
Answer: 
Biotechnology is the study and use of techniques using living organisms or their products for the benefit of human race. It is the controlled use of biological agents such as microorganisms or cellular components for beneficial uses.
It basically means using nature's tiny workers like bacteria to make things we need, like medicine or food. It is like teaming up with biology to build a better future for everyone.
Teacher's Tip: Think of "Bio" as life and "Technology" as tools - so, biotechnology is using life as a tool!
Exam Tip: Always include both "living organisms" and "human benefit" in your definition for full marks.

Question 2:
Answer: 
Yes.
This confirmative answer refers to the historical presence and knowledge of using biological processes in our history. It shows that even before modern labs, humans were observing and using the power of life.
Teacher's Tip: "Yes" is the shortest but most powerful answer in science history!
Exam Tip: Even for one-word answers, make sure to read the full question context during the exam.

Question 3:
Answer: 
Since ancient times, microbes have been exploited for fermentation, baking etc. even without any idea of the mechanism behind them.
The various ways in which microbes were utilized in ancient times are:
1. In ancient times (before 2500 B.C.), the Aryans used to prepare ‘Soma’ as offering to God.
2. Preparations of curds, cheese, paneer, butter etc. from milk are age-old techniques.
3. In Roman times, cheese was processed from milk and its nutritive value was recognized.
4. For baking, leftover dough was applied from a previous batch of bread on leavened bread.
Long ago, people noticed that milk turns into curd or dough rises without knowing the scientific reason why. They used these natural changes to make delicious foods and drinks for thousands of years before microscopes were invented.
Teacher's Tip: Remember "Soma" for the Aryans and "Cheese" for the Romans.
Exam Tip: Mention the approximate time (before 2500 B.C.) to show your historical accuracy.

Question 4:
Answer: 
Some food items prepared using microbes are bread, idli and dosa (South India), soya sauce, koji (Japan), temph (Indonesia), curd, cheese, butter and gari (West Africa)
Microbes are responsible for the fluffy texture of idlis and the tangy taste of curd. They are used in cultures all over the world to ferment and preserve different types of food naturally.
Teacher's Tip: Dosa and Idli are "Microbe Magic" on your breakfast plate!
Exam Tip: Learn at least one item from each region (Japan, Indonesia, West Africa) to provide a diverse and complete answer.

Question 5:
Answer: 
Two pioneer institutes in the field of Biotechnology in India are:
1. Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai
2. Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi
These government centers are where India's smartest scientists work on new inventions using biology. They help develop better crops and new medicines for our country's growth.
Teacher's Tip: CSIR and BARC are the "Science Powerhouses" of India.
Exam Tip: Memorize the full names and their locations (Mumbai and New Delhi) to secure full credit.

Question 6:
Answer: 
Four industrial applications of biotechnology are:
1. Biotechnology is used to produce various alcoholic beverages like wine, beer, whisky, brandy and rum. For this purpose, brewer’s yeast is used for fermenting malted cereals and fruit juices. Depending on the type of the raw material used for fermentation and the type of processing, different types of alcoholic drinks are obtained.
2. Biotechnology also helps in the commercial production of non-alcoholic beverages like tea and coffee. Here microbes are used in a fermentation process called curing.
3. Vinegar i.e. acetic acid is obtained by the fermentation of fruit juices.
4. A number of organic acids like citric acid, lactic acid, butyric acid etc. are obtained by biotechnological methods by employing several acid producing microbes.
5. Biotechnological techniques help in the production of certain enzymes for industrial use. For example proteases, lipases and amylases are obtained from cultures of yeasts like $Saccharomyces$ and $Torula$ and certain bacteria.
(Write any 4)
Factories use microbes on a giant scale to produce everything from vinegar for our salad to enzymes for laundry detergents. This makes mass production of organic products much faster and more sustainable.
Teacher's Tip: Fermentation is the "engine" behind most of these industrial processes.
Exam Tip: If asked for four applications, writing five points ensures safety, but always number them clearly.

Question 7:
Answer: 
1. Biofertilisers are organisms that enrich the nutrient quality of the soil. The main sources of biofertilisers are bacteria, fungi and cyanobacteria. Certain bacteria and blue-green algae fix atmospheric nitrogen and make it available to plants.
2. Certain microorganisms control or prevent spread of other organisms. They are utilized as bio-control agents. Example - Certain fungi which kill agricultural weeds are utilized as bio-weedicides.
Instead of using harsh chemicals on farms, we use biofertilisers like blue-green algae to naturally feed the soil. This keeps the environment healthy and ensures the food we eat is safe and chemical-free.
Teacher's Tip: Biofertilisers are "living vitamins" for the soil.
Exam Tip: Use the term "nitrogen fixation" when explaining how bacteria help plants grow to show deeper knowledge.

Question 8:
Answer: 
(a) In sewage treatment plants, microbes are utilized as scavengers to remove organic matter from sewage. Bacteria, algae and fungi play important roles in sewage treatment.
(b) Gobar gas or biogas is obtained from cowdung, garbage etc. when it is placed in biogas plants where anaerobic bacteria produce methane etc. The waste slurry is used as manure.
Microbes act like a "clean-up crew" that eats the waste in our water to make it safe for nature again. They can also turn animal waste into useful gas that we can use for cooking and lighting in villages.
Teacher's Tip: Microbes are the world's best natural recyclers!
Exam Tip: Clearly mention that "anaerobic bacteria" (bacteria that live without air) are responsible for making biogas.

Question 9:
Answer: 
Five applications of biotechnology in the field of medicine are:
1. Antibiotics - Antibiotics are chemical substances, which are produced by some microbes and can kill or retard the growth of other pathogenic microbes, without harming the host. Biotechnology has helped us to obtain pure and large amounts of antibiotics from microbes. Examples of antibiotics obtained from microbes are penicillin, tetracycline, streptomycin etc. The world’s first discovered antibiotic penicillin is produced by $Penicillium$ species of fungi. It destroys bacteria causing tonsillitis, sore throat, gonorrhea, local infections and pneumonia.
2. Vaccines - Vaccines are killed or weakened pathogens employed to provide immunity against the diseases caused by them. Using biotechnology, we have been able to produce cheaper, purer, safer and more potent vaccines.
3. Antibodies - Antibodies against disease causing pathogens can be obtained through clone cultures. These help to provide immunity against diseases.
4. Hormones - Using recombinant DNA technology, humans have succeeded in producing several important hormones. For example - The bacteria $E. coli$ have been successfully used to produce large quantities of human insulin. This is a boon to the many diabetic patients who are deficient in insulin and hence are unable to control their blood sugar. Also this was an improvement over the earlier used animal insulin which was expensive and allergic to many people.
5. Diagnostic kits - Today many diagnostic kits are available for detecting many diseases especially those caused by parasites. These kits give more reliable and quicker results easily.
Doctors use biotechnology to create pure medicines and vaccines that protect our bodies from dangerous germs. Modern technology even lets us grow human insulin inside bacteria to help people with diabetes live healthy lives.
Teacher's Tip: Penicillin was the "Wonder Drug" that started the antibiotic revolution in the 1940s.
Exam Tip: For insulin, mention "$E. coli$" bacteria specifically to show you know exactly how it is produced.

Question 10:
Answer: 
Koji - Japan
Gari - Africa
Temph - Indonesia
Vinegar - Fermentation
Baking - Yeast
Different cultures have their own special ways of using fermentation to create unique and healthy local dishes. Yeast is the special hero in the kitchen that makes bread soft, fluffy, and airy.
Teacher's Tip: Match the food to the country to remember: K-J, G-A, T-I.
Exam Tip: Be careful with the spelling of 'Temph' and 'Koji' as they are often tested in matching columns.

Question 11:
Answer:
(a) Idli, dosa
(b) Wine, beer
(c) Insulin
(d) Criminals
(e) biological sciences, technology
Biotechnology helps us in many ways, from making delicious breakfast foods to helping police solve crimes with DNA evidence. It even provides life-saving hormones like insulin for millions of people around the world.
Teacher's Tip: Think of biotechnology as a "Detective" for the police and a "Doctor" for patients.
Exam Tip: When filling in blanks, ensure the entire sentence makes grammatical sense after you insert the words.

Question 12:
Answer: 
1. (d) all of the above
2. (b) acid fermentation
3. (b) Soma
4. (a) weakened pathogens
5. (a) acetic acid
These multiple-choice answers summarize important concepts like how vaccines work and what makes vinegar sour. Each one shows a practical way that biology is used to solve real-world problems or produce goods.
Teacher's Tip: Eliminate the obviously wrong options first to find the correct answer in tricky MCQs.
Exam Tip: In MCQs, always write the option letter (like 'a' or 'b') along with the correct word for maximum clarity.