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RAS question

CRISPR-Cas9 technology is used for:

Correct answer: (D) Gene editing.

CRISPR-Cas9 technology is used for gene editing by enabling targeted modification of DNA sequences.

  1. (A)

    Satellite communication

  2. (B)

    Nuclear fusion

  3. (C)

    Quantum computing

  4. (D)

    Gene editing

Explanation

CRISPR-Cas9 is a gene-editing tool because it can be directed to a target DNA sequence and make a cut there, enabling changes at specific locations in a genome. It allows precise modification of DNA sequences in living organisms and was developed by Jennifer Doudna and Emmanuelle Charpentier, who received the 2020 Nobel Prize. NCBI Bookshelf describes CRISPR as a technology that can cut DNA strands and be used as a gene-editing tool, with a guide RNA leading the CRISPR-associated nuclease to the target DNA sequence. That mechanism is biological and genomic, which is why the correct use is gene editing.

Why the other options are wrong

  • (A) Satellite communication deals with transmitting signals via satellites, while CRISPR-Cas9 is grounded in targeted DNA cutting and gene editing.
  • (B) Nuclear fusion concerns combining atomic nuclei, whereas CRISPR-Cas9 is a biological tool for altering DNA at specific genomic locations.
  • (C) Quantum computing is a computing technology, but CRISPR-Cas9 is described as a biotechnology used to edit genes by targeting DNA sequences.

Concept

This tests the basic application of biotechnology in the Science and Technology syllabus. It recurs in RAS because gene editing is a high-visibility emerging technology with direct relevance to health, ethics and applied science questions.

Source

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