Consider the following statements: 1. Genetic changes can be introduced in the cells that produce eggs or sperms of a prospective parent. 2. A person’s genome can be edited before birth at the early embryonic stage. 3. Human /induced pluripotent stem cells can be injected into the embryo of a pig. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

QUESTION

Medium

Science & Technology

Prelims 2020

Consider the following statements:

Genetic changes can be introduced in the cells that produce eggs or sperms of a prospective parent.
A person’s genome can be edited before birth at the early embryonic stage.
Human /induced pluripotent stem cells can be injected into the embryo of a pig.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Select an option to attempt

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct. Techniques like CRISPR-Cas9 allow the editing of genes in sperm or egg cells (germline cells) before fertilization. This can potentially correct genetic diseases passed on to future generations.

Statement 2 is correct. Genome editing in early embryos CRISPR and other techniques can be used to edit genes in embryos at a very early stage of development. This allows for correcting genetic defects before implantation in the womb, potentially preventing the child from inheriting the disease.

Statement 3 is correct. Scientists can reprogram adult human cells into induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) that have the potential to develop into any cell type. These hiPSCs can be injected into animal embryos, like pigs, to create chimeric embryos containing both human and animal cells. This technology is used for research purposes to study human development and disease.

All three statements are correct.

Trusted by 2L aspirants