Q.Transgenic animals are the animals in which a foreign gene is expressed. Such animals can be used to study the fundamental biological process, phenomenon as well as for producing products useful for mankind. Give one example for each type.

Let’s take this one type at a time, exactly as the NCERT textbook presents it.

For studying fundamental biological processes, the example is transgenic mice. These mice are engineered to carry a foreign gene that mimics a human disease or a specific biological function. By observing how the inserted gene behaves in a living mammal, scientists learn about gene regulation, development, and disease mechanisms. …

Let’s begin with the example that sets the scene. You might recall from your NCERT textbook that transgenic animals are not just a laboratory curiosity — they are powerful tools. The textbook itself gives us a clear framework: these animals can be used either to understand how life works at a basic level (fundamental biological processes) or to manufacture something valuable for us (products useful for mankind). To make this concrete, the NCERT offers one specific example for each type.

For studying a fundamental biological process, the textbook points to transgenic mice carrying genes that make them more susceptible to cancer. These are often called “cancer model” mice. Why are they so valuable? Because cancer is a complex disease that involves multiple genes, cell interactions, and the whole body environment. A petri dish or a simple cell culture cannot replicate that. By inserting an oncogene (a cancer-causing gene) into a mouse’s genome, scientists can watch how the disease unfolds in a living, breathing organism. They can test which other genes get activated, how the immune system responds, and whether a potential drug actually works in a whole-body setting. This is a classic example of using a transgenic animal to study a fundamental biological process — in this case, the mechanism of cancer development.

Method — one example per stated purpose, cleanly separated

Purpose 1 — study a fundamental biological process: transgenic mice carrying a gene that mimics a human disease/biological function, letting scientists observe gene regulation directly. …