Assertion: Agrobacterium tumefaciens is popular in genetic engineering because this bacterium is associated with the roots of all cereal and pulse crops.
Reason: A gene incorporated in the bacterial chromosomal genome-gets automatically transferred to the crop with which the bacterium is associated.
(a) If both Assertion and Reason are correct and the Reason is a correct explanation of the Assertion.
(b) If both Assertion and Reason are correct but Reason is not a correct explanation of the Assertion.
(c) If the Assertion is correct but Reason is incorrect.
(d) If both the Assertion and Reason are incorrect.
(e) If the Assertion is incorrect but the Reason is correct.
(d) If both the Assertion and Reason are incorrect.
Explanation:
A soil inhabiting, plant pathogenic bacteria Agrobacterium tumefaciens infects broad leaved crops including tomato, soyabean, sunflower and cotton but not the cereals. Tumour formation (crown galls) is induced by its plasmid (Ti) into the chromosomal DNA of its host plant. The T-DNA causes tumors. As gene transfer occurs without human efforts the bacteria is known as natural genetic engineer of plants.