Which of the following genetically engineered organisms was used by Eli Lilly to prepare human insul

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Question

Which of the following genetically engineered organisms was used by Eli Lilly to prepare human insulin?

Accepted Answer

Correct Answer: B — BacteriumStep-by-step Solution:In 1982, Eli Lilly and Company produced Humulin — the first recombinant human insulin to receive FDA approval — using genetically engineered Escherichia coli (bacterium). The production process involved recombinant DNA technology:The human insulin gene (or synthetic DNA corresponding to insulin A and B chains) was isolated/synthesized.The gene was inserted into plasmid vectors.The recombinant plasmids were introduced into E. coli cells by transformation.E. coli expressed the insulin chains (separately — A chain in one strain, B chain in another).The two chains were purified and combined with correct disulfide bond formation to produce active human insulin.This was a landmark achievement in biotechnology — replacing animal-derived insulin (from pig/cattle pancreas) with human-sequence insulin, which is less immunogenic and more effective. Why other options are wrong: (A) Phage — bacteriophages are viruses; cannot produce large quantities of protein pharmaceuticals; (C) Yeast — while yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) is now used by Novo Nordisk and other companies to produce insulin (allowing proper folding and processing), it was NOT used by Eli Lilly in the first production; (D) Virus — viruses cannot be used as production hosts in this context.Extended Explanation:Insulin structure: Insulin consists of two polypeptide chains — Chain A (21 amino acids) and Chain B (30 amino acids) — connected by two disulfide bonds (between chains) plus one intra-chain disulfide bond in Chain A. Insulin is synthesized as a single-chain precursor called preproinsulin → signal peptide removed → proinsulin → C-peptide removed → active insulin (A + B chains). The first step in recombinant insulin production by Eli Lilly required separate production of A and B chains in different E. coli strains, as bacteria cannot perform the eukaryotic processing steps. Modern production uses proinsulin expressed in yeast or E. coli, with in vitro C-peptide removal. The discovery and isolation of insulin by Frederick Banting, Charles Best, John Macleod, and James Collip in 1921–22 (Nobel Prize 1923) was one of the greatest medical achievements of the 20th century — transforming diabetes from a fatal disease to a manageable condition.Key Concepts: Recombinant human insulin, Eli Lilly, E. coli (bacterium), Humulin, recombinant DNA technology, insulin chains A and B, comparison with yeast-produced insulin, history of insulin production.

Which of the following genetically engineered organisms was used by Eli Lilly to prepare human insulin?

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Which of the following genetically engineered organisms was used by Eli Lilly to prepare human insulin?

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