Recent Innovations in Biotechnology — NCERT Solutions

Advantages of biodiesel:

• It contains more hydrogen and oxygen and less carbon than fossil fuels.
• This improves its combustion.
• It reduces particulate emissions from unburnt carbon.
• It can be used directly in regular diesel engines without any modification.

Biodegradation and bioremediation are related but not the same:

• Biodegradation is the breakdown of waste materials, especially non-biodegradable materials like plastics, by microbes. It is mainly about waste recycling and decomposition.
• Bioremediation is the use of microorganisms or plants for environmental restoration, especially to reduce the toxicity of pollutants such as heavy metals and harmful chemicals in soil or water.
• So, biodegradation focuses on breaking down materials, while bioremediation focuses on cleaning polluted environments.

Biofuel is better than fossil fuels because:

• It is produced from biological sources and is therefore renewable.
• It helps reduce dependence on fossil fuels.
• It reduces carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions.
• It is more environment-friendly.
• In some cases, like algae-based biofuel, it can be made from non-edible sources, so it does not compete directly with food crops.

The main challenges in growing 3D cultures are:

• They are far more expensive than 2D cultures.
• They are time-consuming.
• There are very few automation and reproducible applications available.
• They require careful planning and expert handling.
• The function of tissues and the effects of disease processes on them need to be carefully addressed.

Stem cells are used to make organoids and spheroids because they can assemble into complex structures and form organised tissue-like clusters.

• In organoid formation, stem cells are placed in suitable conditions so they can self-organise into 3D tissue cultures that mimic an organ.
• Organoids can be created from pluripotent stem cells and adult stem cells.
• Spheroids are also used as 3D cell models for studying cancer stem cells, drug response, and tissue organisation.
• Such models are useful in organ development, disease modelling, drug screening, and toxicity testing.

Nanomaterials are materials whose size is in the nanoscale range, that is, they are less than one micron. In the chapter, nanotechnology is described as the use of materials at the nanoscale, and nanobiotechnology is its application in biotechnology.

Yes. The chapter says that although nanobiotechnology has many benefits, the safety of nanomedicine is not yet fully defined. It also mentions the need to understand the safety issues of using nanoparticles in the body and environment.

So, there can be health risks and safety concerns from nano products, especially if they enter the body or environment in ways that are not yet fully understood.

The chapter states that organoids can be created from both pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) and adult stem cells (ASCs) by simulating tissue development and homeostasis. Therefore, the correct option is (c).