Consider the following statements:

DNA Barcoding can be a tool to:

1. assess the age of a plant or animal.
2. distinguish among species that look alike.
3. identify undesirable animal or plant materials in processed foods.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 3 only

(c) 1 and 2

(d) 2 and 3

Explanation

The correct answer is option (d) – 2 and 3.

The key points are:

• DNA barcoding is a method of species identification using a short section of DNA from a specific gene or genes.
• It can be used to:
  • Distinguish among species that look alike. This supports statement 2.
  • Identify undesirable animal or plant materials in processed foods. This supports statement 3.
• It cannot assess the age of a plant or animal. Hence statement 1 is incorrect.

So statements 2 and 3 are correct.

Learn more

Here are some additional details on DNA barcoding:

• Common DNA barcode markers:
  • COI gene for animals
  • rbcL and matK genes for plants
  • ITS region for fungi
• Applications of DNA barcoding:
  • Species identification
  • Detecting fraud and adulteration in food
  • Monitoring biodiversity
  • Forensic investigations
  • Understanding ecology and evolution
• Advantages:
  • Fast, cheap, and accurate identification
  • Can identify any life stage or processed material
  • Useful for cryptic species that look alike
• Limitations:
  • Overlap between intra- and interspecific variation
  • Cannot reliably identify hybrids
  • Incomplete reference databases
  • Only identifies to species, not lower taxonomic levels

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