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Biotechnology refers to the modifications of humans and human environment using living organisms or their products. Biotechnology existed right from pre-historic times, only it has been given a name now. When man first learnt that he could breed and plant crops, that he can make bread from yeast, beer can be made from fermenting solutions of malt and hop, man has been using biotechnological methods.
In earlier days man used small amounts of infectious agents to immunize himself from diseases, which is now used as antibiotics and vaccinations. So when man dreams of growing pest-resistant crops, of combining the genes of 2 or more cells, as he has a better understanding of cells and the organisms, then we can proudly say that man is using Biotechnology to make further progress.
So Biotechnology is technology used in Biology in the areas of agriculture, food, medicine. It is a combination of disciplines like genetics, biochemistry, molecular biology, cell biology
Applications
Biotechnology is used in the areas of medicine, agriculture, environmental uses and for bio-degradable uses.
Red Biotechnology is applied in the health sector to produce antibiotics.
White Biotechnology is applied to industrial processes. It is also called industrial biotechnology. An example is the use of enzymes to produce useful chemicals or destroy harmful chemicals.
Green Biotechnology is used in agriculture to design certain transgenic plants which can grow in the presence or absence of certain chemicals
Blue Biotechnology is used in aquatic and marine applications. Though its usage is still in the infant stage.
Biotechnology is used in medicine in creating drugs, proper diagnosis, better and safer vaccines, in new medical therapies like treatment of hepatitis, cancer, diabetes.
It is used for Genetic testing, cloning. In human cloning, the nucleus from one cell is removed and placed in unfertilized egg cell whose nucleus has been removed.
The two types of cloning are:
Reproductive cloning: The egg cell after a few divisions is placed in the uterus which is genetically similar to the original nucleus for developing.
Therapeutic cloning: The egg is placed into a Petri dish where it develops into embryonic stem cells for treating ailments. In 1997, the cloned sheep Dolly created a stir as she was developed from the mammary glands of a female, which made it apparent that even humans can be cloned. This led to a very ethical controversy
Biotechnology in agriculture: The application of biotechnology in agriculture is mainly to yield a good crop. Using biotechnological methods, genes may be transferred to a high yielding crop to get new characters. But this works best with a single gene whereas the technique which requires enhanced growth uses multiple genes, so a lot of work still needs to be done in this area. Another area where Biotechnology is used is in improving the resistance of crops to diverse environmental conditions like drought, salty water etc.
Biotechnology in biodegradation: Biotechnology is also being used to adapt microorganisms which help in cleaning up environmental wastes and pollutants include marine pollution caused by oil spills.
Benefits of Biotech foods: Crops which have built in resistance against insects, diseases will require less chemicals. New vegetable oils can be made which will reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer. Foods with extra nutrients and vitamins can be grown.
Careers in Biotechnology: Job opportunities in the field of Biotechnology is vast and very gratifying. One has the satisfaction of associating oneself with research or developing products which is used in the improvement of human life. Any science or engineering student can opt for a career in Biotechnology. There are various divisions in a company which deal with various aspects of Biotechnology. They are:
Research and Development
Production and Quality control
Sales and marketing
Regulatory affairs
Legal affairs
Support functions
People interested in research can also do Phd in Biotechnology and obtain a doctorate.
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