Consider the following statements:
DNA Barcoding can be a tool to:
- assess the age of a plant or animal.
- distinguish among species that look alike.
- identify undesirable animal or plant materials in processed foods.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
[UPSC Civil Services Exam – 2022 Prelims]
(a) 1 only
(b) 3 only
(c) 1 and 2
(d) 2 and 3
Answer: (d)
Explanation:
DNA barcoding is a technique that enables the quick and precise identification of species by analyzing a short, standardized segment of gene regions and comparing individual sequences to a reference database.
The applications of DNA barcoding encompass a range of uses, such as
- identifying new species,
- assessing food safety,
- detecting invasive species,
- evaluating cryptic species,
- pinpointing endangered and threatened species,
- connecting the early stages of an organism’s life cycle to the adult species,
- safeguarding intellectual property rights for bioresources,
- devising global conservation strategies,
- identifying plant leaves when flowers or fruits are not available, and
- recognizing pollen collected by pollinators.
