UPSC Prelims 2016 · GS Paper I
Question 31: Science and Technology
In the context of the developments in Bioinformatics, the term ‘transcriptome’, sometimes seen in the news, refers to
AnswerUPSC’s answer is (b).
The transcriptome is the complete set of RNA transcripts, chiefly messenger RNA (mRNA), that a cell, tissue or organism expresses at a given time. It shows which genes are active, and it changes with conditions, unlike the genome, which stays largely fixed. It is studied by methods such as RNA sequencing. It is not a set of editing enzymes, a description of the mechanism of gene expression or a process of mutation.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) Genome-editing enzymes are nucleases such as Cas9, not the transcriptome.
- (b) Right: the transcriptome is the full range of mRNA molecules an organism expresses.
- (c) The mechanism of gene expression is transcription and translation, not the transcriptome.
- (d) Genetic mutation is a separate process.
Answer: UPSC’s key. Explanation: written by UPSC Grade, not by UPSC.
Source: UPSC, Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 2016, General Studies Paper I, Series A. The paper on upsc.gov.in.