NEET2009ZoologyBiotechnology and Its ApplicationsActual
The bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis is widely used in contemporary biology as a/an
Options
- Aindicator of water pollution
- Binsecticide
- Cagent for production of dairy products
- Dsource of industrial enzyme
Correct answer
B. insecticide
Step-by-step solution
Bacitlus thuringiensis is a Gram-positive, soil dwelling bacterium, also occurs naturally in the gut of caterpillars of various types of moths and butterflies. During sporulation, B. thuringiensis forms crystals of proteinaceous insecticidal by cry genes. It was determined that the oy genes are harbored in the plasmids of B . thuringiensis strains. Cry toxins have specific activities against species of the orderLepidoptera (moths and butterflies), Diptera (flies and mosquitoes) and Coleoptera (beetles). Thus, B . t