Consider the following statements :
DNA Barcoding can be a tool to :
- 1.assess the age of a plant or animal.
- 2.distinguish among species that look alike.
- 3.identify undesirable animal or plant materials in processed foods.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?
Show answer
Answer: D. Statement 1 is wrong: DNA barcoding identifies species by a short standard DNA sequence; it cannot tell an organism's age. Statement 2 is correct: it can separate species that look alike. Statement 3 is correct: it can detect undeclared or unwanted animal or plant material in processed food. So 2 and 3.
Watch for: Students confuse DNA barcoding with dating methods that estimate age.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Wrong because DNA barcoding cannot assess age.
- B. Wrong because statement 2 is also correct.
- C. Wrong because DNA barcoding cannot assess age.
Source to check: Consortium for the Barcode of Life / International Barcode of Life (ibol.org); NCERT Class 12 Biology, Chapter 11 (Biotechnology: Principles and Processes)
Answer from the official UPSC key. Written and fact-checked by AI against the official key. Spotted a mistake? Report it.