RAS question
Gene bank conservation stores:
Correct answer: (C) Seeds, tissue cultures, and DNA samples of plants and animals.
Gene bank conservation stores genetic material such as seeds, tissue cultures, and DNA samples of plants and animals for future use.
Explanation
Gene banks are ex situ conservation facilities: they keep genetic resources outside their natural or farm habitat so that the material remains available for future use. FAO defines a gene bank as a facility where germplasm of plant or animal origin may be stored as seeds, pollen, semen or embryos, in vitro plant tissues or plantlets, cryogenic material, or plants maintained in a field gene bank. That is why the broad option is correct. The idea is not limited to one organism group or one storage method. Seed banks and cryo-banks are key examples, with India's National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources in New Delhi storing over 4 lakh seed accessions and Svalbard serving as a global seed-vault backup.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Animal genes are only one possible category; FAO describes gene banks as storing germplasm of plant or animal origin, so plant material is also included.
- (B) Bacteria alone do not capture gene bank conservation, which covers agricultural genetic resources and stored germplasm such as seeds, tissues, semen, embryos and cryogenic material.
- (D) Chemical compounds are not the focus of gene bank conservation; the stored material is germplasm or genetic material, not ordinary chemicals.
Concept
This tests ex situ conservation of biodiversity, especially how genetic resources are preserved outside their natural habitat. It recurs in RAS because conservation methods, seed banks and biotechnology applications link environment, agriculture and science topics.