NEET BIOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -Solution : (a) Escherichia coli, a commensal bacterium is most studied bacterium and widely used in research because it is easily cultured on minimal medium and has fast rate of multiplication and short generation time .

Detailed explanation-2: -Thus, the correct answer is ‘Easily cultured. ‘

Detailed explanation-3: -Because there are tools available to manipulate the genome of E. coli, it is a good candidate as a model organism for metabolic engineering; this is where E. coli is genetically manipulated so that it becomes able to produce desired chemicals from various sources during growth.

Detailed explanation-4: -E. coli is the most frequently used host for production of enzymes and other proteins by recombinant DNA technology. E. coli is preferable for its relative simplicity, inexpensive and fast high-density cultivation, well-known genetics, and large number of compatible molecular tools available.

Detailed explanation-5: -Scientists have used strains of E. coli to study fundamental biological processes, contributing to many important scientific breakthroughs and teaching generations of biology students the rudiments of the scientific method.