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The table below shows… (Class 12 Biology SQP 2026-27, Q20A)

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BiologyCBSE Class 12 · Sample paper, session 2026-27 · 2 marks · Very short answer

CBSE Class 12 Biology sample paper 2026-27: question 20(A)

From the official CBSE sample question paper for 2026-27, section B, question 20(A), for 2 marks. Try it first; the hints and our step-by-step solution are below.

Q20(A) · 2 marks · Very short answerCompetency-basedBiotechnology and its Applications

The table below shows hypothetical data comparing α-lactalbumin concentration in three types of milk, including that of Rosie, a transgenic cow designed to express human milk proteins.

Source of Milkα-lactalbumin Content approximately (g/L)
Normal cow's milk0.1
Rosie cow's milk2.4
Human milk3.5

I. Assuming all other nutritional components are identical, which milk would provide the lowest nutritional contribution from α-lactalbumin?.
II. If further genetic modification increases α-lactalbumin levels in Rosie to 3.5 g/L, predict one ethical concern that might arise from such a development.

Source: official sample paper from cbseacademic.nic.in (PDF). See it in the full Sample paper 2026-27.

Hints

Open one hint at a time and try again before the next.

Hint 1

Compare the three values in the table.

Hint 2

Think about the animal's welfare, the safety of the product and who controls GM organisms.

Step-by-step solution

Each step shows the marks it earns, as an examiner would award them. Checked by an independent re-solve from the question paper.

  1. I. Normal cow's milk (about 0.1 g/L) gives the lowest nutritional contribution from α-lactalbumin. Its content is far lower than that of Rosie's milk (2.4 g/L) and human milk (3.5 g/L).

    1 mark

  2. II. One ethical concern: further genetic modification of animals may have long-term unpredictable effects on the animal's health and welfare and on consumers. Other acceptable concerns are loss of genetic diversity in native cows, patenting of the modified organism, and economic exploitation.

    1 mark

Answer: I. Normal cow's milk. II. Unpredictable long-term effects of genetic modification on animal welfare and health (or loss of genetic diversity, patenting or exploitation).

Where the marks are

  • Identifies normal cow's milk, giving the reason of lowest α-lactalbumin (1 mark)
  • Any one valid ethical concern (1 mark)

Revise the chapter

Practise this chapterBoard-style questions from Biotechnology and its Applications, one at a time, marked against the answer key and marking points.Back to the full paperSample paper 2026-27: every question, by section.

The question is transcribed from the official paper; figures are described in words. The solution, hints and chapter tag are ours. Spotted an error? Write tosupport@questionbuddy.in.