What is Biotechnology? Four areas explanation. Medical Biotechnology, Agricultural Biotechnology, Environmental Biotechnology, Industrial Biotechnology

 

What is Biotechnology?


Biotechnology is that the use of biological systems found in organisms or the utilization of the living organisms themselves to form technological advances and adapt those technologies to varied fields. These include applications in multiple fields, from agricultural practice to the medical sector. It doesn't only include applications in fields that involve the living but also the other field where the knowledge obtained from the biological aspect of an organism are often applied.

Mainly biotechnology can divide to sub areas as medical biotechnology, agricultural biotechnology, food and technology, marine biotechnology, environmental biotechnology and industrial biotechnology.

Medical biotechnology is that the use of living cells and other cell materials to raise the health of humans. Primarily, it's used for locating cures also as getting obviate and preventing diseases. The science involved includes the utilization of those tools for research to seek out different or more efficient ways of maintaining human health, understanding pathogens, and understanding human cell biology. Here, the technique is employed to supply pharmaceutical drugs also as other chemicals to combat diseases. It involves the study of bacteria, plant & animal cells, to first understand the way they function at a fundamental level. It heavily involves the study of DNA (Deoxyribonucleic acid) to urge to understand the way to manipulate the genetic makeup of cells to extend the assembly of beneficial characteristics that humans might find useful, like the assembly of insulin.

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Genetic engineering also can get as a part of biotechnology and the term gene-splicing or genetic engineering initially mentioned various techniques used for the modification or manipulation of organisms through the processes of heredity and reproduction. As such, the term embraced both artificial selection and every one the interventions of biomedical techniques, among them AI, in vitro fertilization (e.g., “test-tube” babies), cloning, and gene manipulation. within the latter a part of the 20th century, however, the term came to refer more specifically to methods of recombinant deoxyribonucleic acid technology (or gene cloning), during which DNA molecules from two or more sources are combined either within cells or in vitro and are then inserted into host organisms during which they're ready to propagate. Not only that when describing about biotechnology Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) is a laboratory technique for detecting and locating a specific DNA sequence on a chromosome. Then blotting technique is a method routinely used in molecular biology for detection of a specific DNA sequence in DNA samples. As well as DNA microarray, PCR techniques, vaccines, antibiotics are some famous and more valuable techniques.

 

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Vaccines are chemicals that stimulate the body’s system to raised fight pathogens once they attack the body. They achieve this by inserting attenuated (weakened) versions of the disease into the body’s bloodstream. It causes the body to react as if it had been under fire from the non-attenuated version of the disease. The body combats the weakened pathogens and, through the method, takes note of the cell structure of the pathogens and has some cells that ‘remember’ the disease and store away the knowledge within the body.

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 Second one is agricultural biotechnology. Agricultural biotechnology focuses on developing genetically modified plants to extend crop yields or introduce characteristics to those plants that provide them with a plus growing in regions that place some quite stress factor on the plant, namely weather, and pests. In a number of the cases, the practice involves scientists identifying a characteristic, finding the gene that causes it, then putting that gene within another plant in order that it gains that desirable characteristic, making it more durable or having it produce larger yields than it previously did. Pest resistance crop is one of the example. Biotechnology has provided techniques for the creation of crops that express anti-pest characteristics naturally, making them very immune to pests, as against having to stay dusting them and spraying them with pesticides.

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An example of this is able to be the fungus Bacillus thuringiensis genes being transferred to crops. The BT protein is that the desired characteristic scientist would really like the plants to possess, and for this reason, they identified the gene causing BT protein to precise within the fungus and transferred it to corn.

In agriculture field genetically modified organism (GMOs) is very famous one and that enhance the diversity of applications and the economic viability of industrial biotechnology. GMO widely used for increase the flavor, yield in fruits and vegetables as well as there so many varieties nowadays in market.

Next one is industrial biotechnology. So, Industrial biotechnology is that the application of biotechnology for industrial purposes that also include industrial fermentation. Applying the techniques of recent biology, it improves efficiency and reduces the multifaceted environmental impacts of commercial processes, including paper and pulp, chemical manufacturing, and textile. It includes the practice of using cells like microorganisms, or components of cells like enzymes, to get products in sectors that are industrially useful, like food and feed, chemicals, detergents, paper and pulp, textiles, biofuels, and biogas.
It includes the practice of using cells like microorganisms, or components of cells like enzymes, to urge products in sectors that are industrially useful, like food and feed, chemicals, detergents, paper and pulp, textiles, biofuels, and biogas.

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Concluding there are four main areas in biotechnology. Medical and molecular biotechnology, agricultural biotechnology, industrial biotechnology and environmental biotechnology. As a Biotechnologist you'll study the genetic, chemical and physical attributes of cells, tissues and organisms so as to develop new technologies, processes and products which will improve the standard of human life.

 

 

REFERENCES

 

https://www.conserve-energy-future.com/biotechnology-types-examples-applications.php

https://www.prospects.ac.uk/job-profiles/biotechnologist

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/329633697_The_founding_father_of_biotechnology_Karoly_Karl_Ereky

https://www.bio.org/what-biotechnology

 

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