Pros And Uses Of Biotechnology

Humans are on a constant quest in the search for perfection and advancement in all areas of life through progressive scientific knowledge. From such a stance, the future of humans appears boundless with all the potential possibilities biotechnology provides, but such developments will cause ethical, social and biological implications.

Biotechnology is a broad term. Basically, it is the “tools and techniques [opening] new research avenues for discovering how healthy bodies work and what goes wrong when problems arise”(Siedler para. 1). It covers controversial technology and procedure, like genetic engineering and gene therapy. It is controversial because it can affect everyone(Jeremy para. 16). As a consequence, the development of biotechnology has been a “slow, quiet progress”(Kirsner para. 3) because society may or may not recognize the repercussion of it. However, scientist like Smith- a previous chief for the Cambridge biotech company, Genzyme- continues to develop biotechnology(para. 1). Because biotechnology can be controversial, yet scientist continues to develop it;

For those who are unaware, genetic engineering is the alteration of a single DNA cell in order to manipulate a living organism to “resurrect” or revamp a species. Biotechnology allows geneticist’s to edit DNA, insert it into an

Merriam-Webster defines biotechnology as the manipulation (as through genetic engineering) of living organisms or their components to produce useful usually commercial products (as pest resistant crops, new bacterial strains, or novel pharmaceuticals.) Biotechnology is therefore utilized in many different fields of study, research, and production. These fields of biotechnology use are separated into groups by colors. Green biotechnology refers to the use of biotechnology in the agricultural field, red biotechnology to the medical field, and white biotechnology to the industrial field. Some examples of each would be the selection and domestication of plants via micropropagation through the use of green biotechnology, designing organisms to produce antibiotics via red biotechnology, and designing organisms to produce useful chemicals via white biotechnology.

Biotechnology is the manipulation of microorganisms, through DNA manipulation and bioprocess manipulation for industrial, health, and food industries. Although, there are many different types of biotechnologies; agriculture is the leading type of biotechnology that has affected humans for thousands of years - and will continue to make a large impact for the future of humanity. What exactly is agricultural biotechnology? Agricultural biotechnology, or agritech, is a combination of tools to improve or manipulate microorganisms, or parts thereof, for agricultural use - such as bacteria resistant, improve crop yield, and the list goes on. Biotechnology, in specifies, agricultural biotechnology has been used for thousands of years. Scientists do not have a specific date as to when agritech was first utilized, but they have concluded that approximately ten thousand to twenty thousand years BC, early humans domesticated plants and animals. Overtime, the desired plants and animals were bred - the desired, and overall better quality plants and animals were selectively bred. Thus overtime, unknowingly

life by decades, biotechnology has the same potential to do the same. Therefore, most advocates argue that since the technology is there it should be used. For ages humans have been, enhance through education and biotechnology could be another method in order to continue to further develop human life.

What is biotechnology? When I heard of biotechnology I assume it would be the study of technology and how it affects our life, but I was wrong. “Biotechnology is the study and application of living organisms and processes to manufacture products or to improve the characteristic of bacteria, plants, or animals.” Biotechnology is scientist’s way of advancing technology, providing the world with necessary needs. Which can be very convenient providing the world with healthier food, improving the plants and animals and nature as it continues to advance their will be many other things they will discover. Biotechnology is efficient because of the timing. It makes things happen quicker. Biotechnology has a major effect on our lives; and eventually it will get better and enhance our lives in the future, yes there will be a couple pros and cons as there is already but society will get through it.

“Biotechnology has been used for more than 6,000 years for lots of interesting and practical purposes: making food such as bread and cheese, preserving dairy products and fermenting beer” (Biotechnology - Promising a Brighter Future for the World). Although we do not always realize it, biotechnology is a huge part of our everyday lives, from the medicine we use to keep us healthy, the fuel we use to take us where we need to go, and even the food we eat and the sources it comes from, biotechnology already plays, and must continue to play, an invaluable role in meeting our needs. Biotechnology uses cellular and bio-molecular processes to develop technologies and products that help improve our

Biotechnology is the use of living systems and organisms to develop useful products and is a technological application that uses living organisms or systems. There is much controversy in the use of these systems because of possible health and environmental effects. One of the most widely used products of biotechnology is genetically modified (GM) crops. These are crops that have a specific combination of genetic material that is acquired through certain biotechnological processes or genetic engineering. Many crops have been subject to these genetic modifications such as: alfalfa, cotton, flax, rice, tobacco, tomatoes, and wheat. Many people are on various sides of the spectrum of being for the alteration of these crops or strongly against it.

2. Biotechnology means "the exploitation of biological processes for industrial and other purposes, especially the genetic manipulation of microorganisms for the production of antibiotics, hormones, etc." This basically gives off what Biotechnology is. In simpler terms Biotechnology studies living organisms and how it could b useful to us humans. The knowledge analyzed from the organisms allows researches and scientist to transfer genes between other cells and different organisms. The use of this is to help analyze these things to produce products that would be useful for the economy. There is two basic Biotechnologies and these are Traditional Biotechnology

Biotechnology is not just a new fad. Prakash and Conko stated, “And a review of 81 separate research projects conducted over 15 years- all funded by the European Union- found that bioengineered crops and foods are at least as safe for the environment and for human consumption as conventional crops, and in some cases even safer.” (Prakash and Conko 359) This sentence summarizes an important

Balasubramanian, D., Bryce, C.F.A, Dharmalingam, K., Green, J. & Jayaraman, K. (Eds.) (2004). _Concepts in Biotechnology_ (2nd ed.). India: University Press

Genetic engineering is the use of combined technologies to alter the genome of an organism. Genetic

Base on this week’s reading, the biotechnology researches are need to be protected by patent because of the high cost. Like other patented pharmaceutical medicine, Patent will encourage researchers to develop gene based products, make more specify, more human tolerated medicine and make more diseases

Genetic engineering alters the genetic makeup of an organism using techniques that introduce heritable material prepared outside the organism either directly into the host or into a cell that is then fused or hybridised with the host.[1] This involves using recombinant nucleic acid (DNA or RNA) techniques to form new combinations of heritable genetic material followed by the incorporation of that material either indirectly through a vector system or directly through micro-injection, macro-injection and micro-encapsulation techniques. Genetic engineering does not include traditional animal and plant breeding, in vitro fertilisation, induction of polyploidy, mutagenesis and cell fusion techniques that do not use recombinant nucleic acids or a genetically modified organism in the process.[1] Cloning and stem cell research, although not considered genetic engineering,[2] are closely related and