MCQ Detailed View

Biotechnology is a branch of science that uses living organisms, their systems, or their processes to create products that benefit humans. One of the most important applications of biotechnology is in food production, where it helps make different types of edible products such as bread, yogurt, cheese, vinegar, wine, and pickles. The key biological process that biotechnology uses in these cases is called fermentation.Fermentation is a natural metabolic process in which microorganisms like bacteria, yeast, or fungi convert sugars and other nutrients into useful products such as alcohol, acids, or gases. This process not only helps preserve food but also improves its flavor, texture, and nutritional value. For example:

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  Bread rises due to carbon dioxide produced by yeast during fermentation.

  
  


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  Yogurt is made when bacteria ferment milk sugars to produce lactic acid.

  
  


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  Cheese is formed through bacterial fermentation followed by other processing steps.

  
  


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  Wine and beer are made by yeast converting sugar into alcohol.

  
  

Other terms in the options are different biological processes:

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  Decomposition is the breakdown of dead organic matter, not a controlled process for food production.

  
  


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  Respiration is how living cells release energy from food but is not the main method in biotechnology-based food preparation.

  
  


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  Digestion occurs inside the body to break down food into nutrients, not outside in food manufacturing.

  
  

Fermentation has been used for thousands of years, but modern biotechnology has improved it by selecting specific microbial strains, controlling temperature, pH levels, and oxygen availability to make food production safer and more efficient. This process is essential in creating many of the foods we eat every day and plays a huge role in the food industry and biotechnology research.

Thus, the role of biotechnology in food production is primarily based on fermentation, where microorganisms transform raw materials into edible, safe, and high-quality food products.