Q21 of 26 Page 1

Explain how Eli Lilly, an American company produced insulin by recombinant DNA technology.

Insulin has two short polypeptide chains namely chain A and chain B which are linked by a disulfide bridge. Insulin is released usually as a pro-hormone in mammals including humans; this contains an extra stretch called c-peptide, which is removed from mature insulin during maturation.

In 1983, Eli Lily, an American company produced insulin by using rDNA techniques by following steps:


(i) They prepared two DNA sequences corresponding to chain A and chain B.


(ii) Then they introduced it into plasmids of E.coli to produce insulin chains.


(iii) Chain A and chain B were produced separately.


(iv) Then it was extracted and combined by the help of disulfide bonds.


(v) And they formed insulin and gave the name Humulin, the company’s brand name for insulin.


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A national newspaper reported that a 50-metre high ‘Sanitary landfill’, the dumping site of city’s garbage in one of the metro-cities crashed and caused heavy damage and disaster in and around the area. A couple of cars, two-wheelers and cattle were swept away in the nearby overflowing canal. Three persons including a young girl were crushed under the garbage and died.

(a) Write any two points that in your opinion could have caused this landfill crash.


(b) Mention any four preventive measures to be adhered to as a policy which could have avoided this accident.


(c) Write any two suggestions that you would like to give to the citizens so as to help in preventing such a disaster in future.