UPSC Prelims 2023 – Question 70

Here is Question No. 70 a part of our series on UPSC Prelims 2023.

Q70. `Microsatellite DNA’ is used in the case of which one of the following? 

1. Studying the evolutionary relationships among various species of fauna 

2. Stimulating ‘stem cells’ to transform into diverse functional tissues 

3. Promoting clonal propagation of horticultural plants 

4. Assessing the efficacy of drugs by conducting a series of drug trials in a population 

Correct Answer: Option (a) 

• Microsatellite DNA is utilized in genetic analysis, more specifically in molecular genetics and genomics. Microsatellites are small DNA sequences made up of repeating units. They are also known as short tandem repeats (STRs) or simple sequence repeats (SSRs). The number of repeats at a certain microsatellite locus might vary greatly between people in a population because microsatellite DNA is highly variable. Researchers can analyze the genetic structure, population dynamics, and evolutionary relationships among various species of animals by analyzing microsatellite DNA. Hence, option (a) is correct. 

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