UPSC Prelims 2023·GS1·science-and-technology·ipr and biotechnology

'Microsatellite DNA' is used in the case of which one of the following?

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Last updated 23 May 2026, 3:31 pm IST
  1. AStudying the evolutionary relationships among various species of faunaCorrect
  2. BStimulating 'stem cells' to transform into diverse functional tissues
  3. CPromoting clonal propagation of horticultural plants
  4. DAssessing the efficacy of drugs by conducting series of drug trials in a population

Explanation

'Microsatellite DNA' is used in the case of: Studying the evolutionary relationships among various species of fauna. Microsatellites, also known as Short Tandem Repeats (STRs), are short sequences of DNA (typically 2-6 base pairs long) that are repeated many times in a row at a particular location in the genome. They are highly polymorphic, meaning the number of repeats varies significantly among individuals within a population and across species. This high variability makes them extremely useful as genetic markers in various fields of study: Population Genetics: Assessing genetic diversity, gene flow, and population structure. Forensics: DNA profiling and identification. Paternity Testing: Determining biological relationships. Phylogenetics/Evolutionary Biology: Due to their high mutation rate and variability, microsatellites are excellent tools for studying genetic relatedness, evolutionary divergence, and phylogenetic relationships among closely related species, populations, and even individuals. The other options describe different biological or scientific processes where microsatellite DNA is not the primary tool or is irrelevant.
science-and-technology: 'Microsatellite DNA' is used in the case of which one of the following?
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