What Is Biotechnology And Its Applications

Biotechnology is a revolutionizing field that applies biological principles to contribute to the development of technologies and products that help better human life and the health of our planet. The applications of biotechnology include therapeutics, diagnostics, genetically modified crops for agriculture, processed food, bioremediation, waste treatment, and energy production. This chapter Biotechnology and its Application of Biology is important for Class 12 students and those who are preparing to pass entrance exams like NEET, AIIMS, nursing, and paramedical streams.

This Story also Contains

1. What is Biotechnology and its Applications?
2. Biotechnology Principles and Processes
3. Applications of Biotechnology
4. Father of Biotechnology
5. Biotechnological Applications in Agriculture
6. Biotechnological Applications in Medicine
7. Transgenic Animals
8. Ethical Issues in Biotechnology and Its Applications
9. Recommended Video on Biotechnology and Its Applications

This article covers all the aspects of biotechnology, starting from the principles and applications to covering key areas such as Biotechnology Applications in agriculture, medicine, and the uses of Transgenic Animals, along with the ethical issues associated with its use.

What is Biotechnology and its Applications?

Biotechnology is defined as the field that brings together the principles of biological science and technology in transforming living organisms and biological systems for certain applications. Some of the examples of its application are genetic modification, transgenic animals, and tissue culture. It is an area that uses concepts from many different fields, such as medicine, farming, food science, and environmental science, to benefit from its use, resulting in stronger materials, more resilient medications, and more fruitful crops.

Also Read:

• DNA Fingerprinting

• Bioreactor obtaining foreign gene

• Bioremediation

Biotechnology Principles and Processes

Biotechnology techniques are used that manipulate genetic material, including recombinant DNA technology and gene cloning, thus permitting the creation of desired traits in organisms. The biotechnology principles and processes are based on two major techniques:

• Genetic engineering: It refers to the reconstruction of the genetic material of organisms to generate desired traits. Some of the prime techniques applied in genetic engineering include cloning genes, recombinant DNA technology, and PCR.

• Bioprocess Engineering: Bioprocess engineering is the application of biological materials in producing processes on industrial scales. Bioprocess engineering thus applies to the large-scale production of substances like enzymes, biofuels, and vaccines for vaccination.

Applications of Biotechnology

Biotechnology has numerous applications from improving health through medical advances to increasing crop productivity in agriculture, cleaning up environmental pollution, and producing eco-friendly industrial products. Some applications are given below:

• Medical Biotechnology: Development of vaccines, antibiotics, gene therapy for genetic disorders and diseases such as cancer.

• Agricultural Biotechnology: Genetic modification of crops to achieve higher yield, pesticide resistance, and nutritional value.

• Biotechnology: Use of microbes for cleaning up pollutants, known as bioremediation and designing ecologically sound waste management systems.

• Industrial Biotechnology: This includes the production of enzymes, biofuel and biodegradable plastics through microbial fermentation

Father of Biotechnology

The title "Father of Biotechnology" has generally been bestowed on Karl Ereky, who was credited with the term "biotechnology" coined as early as 1919 for industrial applications of biological processes. Such work could obviously sow the seeds of modern biotechnology, affecting as broad areas as medicine, agriculture, and environmental science.

Biotechnological Applications in Agriculture

Agriculture requires continual enhancement to satisfy the increasing food demands of the expanding population. Agriculture Biotechnology is essential in enhancing crop productivity, increasing pest resistance, and reducing dependence on harmful pesticides. The Green Revolution increased food, but not enough for the growing population. So, scientists used tissue culture to grow many healthy plants from a small plant part in lab conditions. This method helps make virus-free plants and also create new hybrid plants by joining cells from different plants, like the pomato. Genetically Modified (GM) crops are created by changing the plant's genetic composition to enhance characteristics such as insect resistance, stress tolerance, or nutritional value. These crops minimize chemical usage and enhance yield. Examples of Genetically Modified Crops:

1. Bt Cotton - It adds a gene from Bacillus thuringiensis that removes insect pests.

2. Golden Rice - Enriched with Vitamin A to fight deficiency.

3. RNAi Tobacco Plant - Modified to resist nematode infection by gene silencing.

Biotechnological Applications in Medicine

The application of Biotechnology Medicine has revolutionized medicine by enabling the production of safer, more productive pharmaceuticals through recombinant DNA technology. These pharmaceuticals are classified as recombinant therapies. Globally, 30+ recombinant drugs are approved for human use, with 12 available in India.

Genetically Engineered Insulin

One of the earliest and most successful applications of genetic engineering in medicine is the production of human insulin using microbes like E. coli. Example: In the past, insulin was made from the pancreas of pigs or cows, which made some people immune. Human insulin is made up of two chains, called Chain A and Chain B. These chains are connected by disulfide bonds. Eli Lilly (a company) made synthetic genes for both groups and put them into E. coli in 1983. The bacteria made both chains independently. They were then cleaned up and chemically put together to make human insulin that works.

Gene Therapy

Gene therapy is a medical technique to correct genetic defects by inserting a healthy gene into a patient’s cells. Example: The first clinical gene therapy was performed in 1990 on a 4-year-old girl suffering from ADA deficiency (Adenosine Deaminase deficiency), which affects the immune system.

Molecular Diagnosis

Biotechnology helps find diseases early, even before they show signs, which is important for getting the right treatment. These advanced biotechnological tools allow detection of diseases at an early stage, even when pathogens are in very low quantities:

1. PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) - This method finds small amounts of DNA by making certain gene patterns stronger.

2. Recombinant DNA Technology – Helps identify mutations or pathogens by manipulating DNA in the lab.

3. ELISA (Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay) - Detects infections by looking for antigens or antibodies in a patient's material.

4. DNA/RNA Probes with Autoradiography - Uses radioactive probes that bind to complementary sequences to find particular genes or mutations.

Transgenic Animals

Animals that have been genetically changed to carry and use genes from a different species are called Transgenic Animals. Scientists use recombinant DNA technology to make these animals so they can study how genes work, model diseases in humans, and make useful biological goods. Over 95% of all transgenic animals are mice, but other animals like rats, rabbits, pigs, sheep, and cows have also been produced. The uses of transgenic animals are:

1. Normal Physiology and Development - This is used to learn about how genes work and what their molecular roles are, such as insulin-like growth factor.

2. Study of Disease - Serve as models to understand and treat human diseases such as cancer and Alzheimer's.

3. Biological Products - These are animals that have been modified to make human proteins (like α-1-antitrypsin in milk), which are used to treat illnesses.

4. Vaccine Safety Testing - Help make sure that vaccines like the polio vaccine are safe for people to use before they are given to them.

5. Chemical Safety Testing (Toxicity Testing) – Used to detect toxicity of drugs by making them more sensitive to chemicals.

Ethical Issues in Biotechnology and Its Applications

Biotechnology raises many ethical questions, particularly in its applications to genetically modified crops.

• In India, the research and marketing clearance of a GM product falls within the purview of the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee, or GEAC.

• GEAC recently denied commercial clearance to a GM mustard variety called DMH-11, which has been developed to avoid inbreeding depression.

• Various NGOs and civil society groups are concerned about the safety of GM organisms and their implications.

• Although such apprehensions carry some merit, restrictions at another level may become dysfunctional in the progress of biotechnology itself.

• This is an issue that requires action by collaboration between scientists, students, policymakers, and society.

• Biosafety issues also arise, focusing on the need to regulate the release of GMOs to prevent potential risks to human health and the environment.

• To connect ethical concerns with biotechnology benefits, there may be an urgent need for an open forum for discussion.

• Acceptance and acknowledgement of the potential of biotechnology is essential to propel further human welfare in agriculture, medicine, and environmental sustainability.

• Another ethical concern is biopiracy, where bio-resources and traditional knowledge of developing nations are exploited by others without proper authorization or compensation.

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