Question

Bacteria used to produce human insulin chains is:

• A. S. typhimurium
• B. E. coli
• C. A. tumefaciens
• D. B. thuringiensis

Hint:

Recombinant insulin produced by E. coli has revolutionized the management of diabetes, providing a synthetic source that reduces allergic reactions compared to animal-derived insulin.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

To solve the problem, we need to identify the bacterium commonly used in genetic engineering to produce human insulin chains.

1. Understanding the Process:
In biotechnology, certain bacteria are genetically modified to produce human insulin chains. The most commonly used bacterium for this purpose is Escherichia coli (E. coli), which is known for its ability to take up foreign DNA and produce proteins, such as insulin, from that DNA.

2. Analyzing the Options:
Let's evaluate the provided options:

• S. typhimurium: This bacterium is a pathogen and is not commonly used for insulin production.
• E. coli: This bacterium is widely used in genetic engineering for insulin production. It is a common host for recombinant DNA technology.
• A. tumefaciens: This bacterium is used for plant genetic engineering, not for producing human insulin.
• B. thuringiensis: This bacterium is primarily used as a biopesticide and is not used for insulin production.

3. Conclusion:
The correct bacterium for producing human insulin chains is E. coli.

Final Answer:
The correct answer is (B) E. coli.

Answer 2

Identifying the bacterial host. Escherichia coli (E. coli) is extensively used in recombinant DNA technology due to its well-understood genetics, ease of culture, and ability to express foreign genes efficiently. This bacterium has been genetically engineered to synthesize human insulin by inserting the human insulin gene. This allows the production of insulin that is chemically identical to the naturally produced human hormone, which is essential for the metabolism of sugars in the body.