GSTS : FINALS
0581 - Science, Technology, and Society [BS PSYCHOLOGY 1]
MODULE 8: BIODIVERSITY, CLIMATE CHANGE AND A
HEALTHY SOCIETY
“Biodiversity is the variation among living organisms from
different sources including terrestrial, marine and desert
ecosystems, and the ecological complexes of which they are
a part.”
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BIODIVERSITY : HEALTH AND MEDICINE
PLANTS
LEVELS OF BIODIVERSITY
Genetic Diversity
Variations among organisms of the
same species
Species Diversity
Variety of species within a particular
region
Ecological Diversity
Network of different species in an
ecosystem and their interaction with one
another.
PHILIPPINES: A MEGADIVERSE COUNTRY
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Megabiodiversity: refers to top biodiversity-rich
countries. The concept is used to highlight
awareness of conservation issues around the world.
To qualify as a megadiverse country: must have
a high level of endemism and species diversity, as
well as have marine ecosystem along its border.
PHILIPPINE FLORA AND FAUNA
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Flora: refers to the plant life
Fauna: refers to the animal life
Conservation International: Biodiversity Hotspots (2006)
● Plants: 9253
● Birds: 535
● Freshwater fishes: 281
● Reptiles: 237
● Mammals: 167
● Amphibians: 89
BENEFITS OF BIODIVERSITY
Utilitarian Value
Intrinsic Value
- basic needs human obtain from biodiversity
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Source of Food
● Medicine
● Energy
● Aesthetic and cultural benefits
● Ecosystem services
- potential usefulness of biodiversity for
human beings
● Inherent right of species to exist
Regulate Climate and Flood
Regulate Pollution
Regulate Water and air quality
Regulate Decomposition of Waste
USES
Cupressus sempervirens
Cypress
Cough, colds, inflammation
Salvia apiana
California sage
Aids in child birthing, boost
immune system
Alhagi maurorum
Camel thorn
Contains sugar (manna) Diuretic,
diaphoretic,laxative, expectorant,
Gastroprotective, antiseptic,
anti-diarrhea
Ligusticum scoticum
Scottish lovage
Uterine disorder
Willow tree
Salicyclic acid
Anti-inflammatory
Papaver somniferum
Opium poppy
Morphine, Pain killer
Digitalis purpuruea
Foxglove
Heart condition
Pennicilum Fungi
Penicillin, Antibiotic
Pilocarpine
Xerostomia, Dry mouth
Cinchona succiruba Pav.
Ex Klotzsch
Malaria
Clinopodium douglasii
Peppermint, Yerba buena
relieving pain and body
aches
Blumea balsamifera
Sambong
diuretic herb for treating
urine stones and edema
Vitex negundo
Lagundi
cough and asthma.
Moringa oelifera
Malunggay
effective remedy against many
kinds of ailments
BIODIVERSITY: AGROBIODIVERSITY
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WHAT BIODIVERSITY PROVIDE AND DO :
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Food
Medicine
Energy
Air and Water
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“All the component of biological diversity associated
with food and agriculture, and all components of
biological diversity that related to agricultural
ecosystems.”-Convention on Biological Diversity
(CBD)
Source of food and nutrition (human, livestock &
cultivated plants)
Medicine and health value
Ecosystem services (pollination, food chain)
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Genetic resources (plant/animal)
Knowledge (taxonomy)
Economic value
Socio-economic to support livelihood
BIODIVERSITY: ENERGY
Stone Age1000 BC
Chinese begin burning coal for heating and
cooking
400 BC
Europeans build wheels in rivers to harness
hydropower
100 AD
Persian built first windmills as source of wind
energy
1700 - 1800
British discovered burning coal to coke which
has high fuel content
1820
First natural gas was drilled in Fredonia, NY
1830
Electric generator was developed from Michael
Faraday’s discovery of electromagnetism
1850
First oil well was drilled which led
to distillation of kerosene from petroleum
1860
Augustine Mouchot developed the first solar
energy generator
1892
First use of geothermal energy to heat building
in
1942
First nuclear fission reactor
ENVIRONMENTAL RISKS OF ENERGY CONSERVATION
● Nuclear reactor accident
● Oil spill
● Coal ash spill
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POSITIVE IMPACTS OF ENERGY
*Without energy and power, most technologies
would not exist or work.
ADVERSE EFFECTS ON BIODIVERSITY
Wildlife mortality
Habitat loss
Fragmentation
Noise & light pollution
Invasive species
Changes in carbon stock
Changes in water resources
1942
Mangrove as flood barrier
BIODIVERSITY: AIR AND WATER TREATMENT
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PRIMARY POLLUTANTS
○ Carbon Monoxide (CO)
○ Sulfur dioxide (SO2)
○ Ammonia (NH3)
○ Nitric Oxide (NO)
○ Nitrogen Dioxide ( NO2)
○ Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)
○ Particules (PM)
SECONDARY POLLUTANTS
○ Sulphur trioxide (SO3)
○ Sulphuric Acid (H2SO4)
○ Ammonium (NH4)
○ Ozone (O3)
○ Nitric Acid (HNO3)
○ Hydrogen Peroxide (H2O2)
○ Particulates (PM)
BIODIVERSITY:PROTOCOLS
Montreal Protocol
Phasing out of ozone-depleting
gases (hydrofluorocarbons)
Kyoto Protocol
Fight global warming by reducing
greenhouse gases
Cartagena Protocol
& Convention on
Biological Diversity
Protecting biological diversity from
potential risks posed by living modified
organisms resulting from modern
biotechnology
Philippine
Environmental
Jurisprudence
Philippine Laws
CLIMATE CHANGE
6 MAJOR THREATS TO BIODIVERSITY
1. Climate Change
Increase in the temperature of the
atmosphere has major effects on the
environment such as seasons, rising of
the sea levels, and glacial retreats
2. Habitat Loss and
Degradation
May be caused by natural events like
natural calamities and geological events
or anthropogenic activities like
deforestation and man induced climate
change
3. Pollution
Be it water, air, or land pollution, all
forms of pollution appear to be a threat
to all life forms on Earth
4. Invasive Spaces
An exotic or unnatural species can be
any kind of organism that has been
introduced to a foreign habitat. This
introduction can cause major threats to
the native species
BIODIVERSITY: WATER STORAGE AND FLOOD CONTROL
2000 BC
Groundwater and wells for irrigation
312 BC
Aqueducts for flood ways were built by
Romans & Greeks
1900
Dams were developed to maintain water
supply
2000 - present
Diversion canals Flood barriers (levees) Land
use zoning Coastal defenses
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5. Overexploitation
6. Other Potential
Threats
Refers to the act of over harvesting
species and natural resources at rates
faster than they can actually sustain
themselves in the wild
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Reduction of
Biodiversity
Epidemics and infectious diseases of
wildlife such as Ebola virus disease,
infectious bursal disease, and flu affect
wildlife and biodiversity
WHAT IS CLIMATE CHANGE ?
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number of trees able to capture carbon
dioxide from the atmosphere.
Climate Change: change in the average
temperature and cycles of weather over a long
period of time.
Since 1880, scientists have kept thermometerbased records of the global surface temperature.
WHO CAUSES CLIMATE CHANGE ?
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The planet is becoming warmer; the climate is
changing.
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WHAT CAUSES CLIMATE CHANGE?
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Carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and water
vapor (H2O) are greenhouse gasses that are found
in the atmosphere.
Energy: travels from the Sun to the Earth as short
wave radiation. It does not interact strongly with the
greenhouse gas molecules so it reaches the Earth’s
surface.
The Earth’s surface emits long wavelength
radiation. This does interact with the greenhouse
gas molecules.
The greenhouse gas molecules: absorb some of
the energy, trapping it in the atmosphere.
Greenhouse effect: Causes the rise in temperature
in which the higher the proportion of greenhouse
gasses in the atmosphere, the more radiation is
absorbed.
Climate Change: caused gradually by natural
processes or suddenly by large events, such as a
massive meteorite strike or volcanic activity. Rapid
climate change is due to three main human
activities:
Burning of
Fossil Fuels
for heating and cooking, generating electricity
and powering vehicles releases carbon
dioxide into the atmosphere.
Deforestation
releases carbon dioxide and reduces the
The 50 least developed countries are thought to
have contributed 1% of the greenhouse gasses that
have caused global warming. The USA, the EU and
China alone have contributed around 60%.
WHY IS CLIMATE CHANGE A PROBLEM?
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creates an unstable ecosystem. Nature loss
leads to ecosystems that are less able to
capture carbon from the atmosphere and less
resilient to rising temperatures.
Over millions of years, species become adapted to
survive in the conditions in which they live.
Stable climate: allows living things to thrive. If the
climate changes quickly, organisms don’t have
enough time to adapt to new conditions and may no
longer be able to survive.
Climate Change: disrupts weather patterns and
causes extreme weather events to become more
common. These include hurricane activity, droughts
and floods.
As the global temperature has increased, so has
the number of reported natural disasters
Rising Sea Levels: Rising temperatures are
causing sea levels to increase.
The rising water can cover coastal areas,
destroying habitats and displacing whole
populations from low-lying areas.
Ice Melt
When the atmosphere and ocean get warmer,
ice sheets and glaciers melt, resulting in the
addition of fresh water to the ocean.
Thermal
Expansion
As ocean water gets warmer, it expands,
causing sea levels to rise.
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The increase in global temperatures is causing a
reduction in sea ice.
This causes problems for animals that depend on
the ice to hunt, mate and sleep.
Acting quickly to keep the temperature rise to
minimum is extremely important for humans and
wildlife.
Coral Bleaching
Species Loss
Drought
Rise in Sea Levels
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CLIMATE CHANGE AND HEALTH
Intersecting
Inequalities
• may face exclusion or discrimination
because they fall into multiple
disadvantaged groups, for example, Black
women, disabled LGBTQ+ people or poor
children.
CLIMATE JUSTICE
Climate Justice
looking at the climate crisis from the
perspective of social justice. Solutions need
to not only curb climate change; they need
to protect and empower the most vulnerable
groups of people too.
Responsibility
to consider the most vulnerable when
planning climate action. Remember, these
groups of people contribute to climate
change the least. This means putting the
people and communities that are most
vulnerable to the impact of climate change
at the heart of development.
MENTAL HEALTH AND WELL-BEING
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Impact of Climate Change on Physical, Mental, and
Community Health
Medical and
Physical Health
• changes in fitness and activity level
• heat-related illness
• allergies
• increased exposure to waterborne and
vector-borne illness
Mental Health
• stress, anxiety, depression, grief,
sense of loss
• strains on social relationships
• substance abuse
• post-traumatic stress disorder
Community Health
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Everyone will feel the effects of climate change
Wealth of prosperous countries: has come from
activities which contribute to greenhouse gas
emissions; allows these countries to protect
themselves from the effects of climate change.
Poorer countries are less able to adapt to climate
change and therefore suffer the most from its
effects; less able to develop because they need to
focus on addressing the challenges caused by
climate change.
Governments
• can make laws and policies that reduce
the amount of greenhouse gas emissions.
Businesses
• can change their processes to run more
sustainably.
We
Social Justice
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The transition to a low-carbon economy in the years
ahead brings with it many opportunities.
Innovation: process of turning an idea into a
solution that solves a problem
Transitioning to low-carbon economies will provide
lots of opportunity for innovation.
New job sectors will be created and new skills will
be valued in the jobs market.
COP26
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• concept of fairness
• to fairness within a society
• People should have equal access to
wealth, health, opportunities and privileges
within a society. All humans should have the
right to a certain standard of living, including
a healthy diet, access to clean water,
shelter, clothing, education and healthcare.
• can all make choices in our own lives that
reduce our carbon footprint
• use our voices to let businesses and
governments know that we want them to act
quickly
NEW OPPORTUNITIES
SOCIAL JUSTICE
Justice
will not work if we do not address social
justice issues.
WHO CAN FIX IT?
• increased interpersonal aggression
• increased violence and crime
• increased social instability
• decreased community cohesion
MENTAL HEALTH AND WELL-BEING
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Climate
Solutions
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197 countries (parties) have signed up to the
United Nations Framework Convention on
Climate Change (UNFCCC).
○ aims to prevent human activity from
causing dangerous levels of climate
change.
COP: Conference of Paris
○ look at the current state of the climate and
discuss the actions they will take to
address climate change.
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WHAT HAPPENS AT COP26?
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In 2015: at COP21 in Paris, the nations signed an
agreement that set out an ambitious plan to tackle
climate change.
Paris Agreement: nations agreed to act together to
restrict global temperature increases to 2°C and
begin efforts to limit warming to 1.5°C.
To do this we will need to reach ‘net zero’ by 2050.
This means that any carbon emissions will need to
be balanced by removing carbon dioxide from the
air.
The Paris Agreement instructed: governments to
renew their commitment to lowering their emissions
every five years, each time becoming more
ambitious.
New Nationally Determined Contributions
(NDCs):due to be set by countries at COP26]
Global carbon dioxide emissions: continued to
rise after The Paris Agreement, and are now 62%
higher than they were in 1990.
Global net CO2 emissions need to fall by 45% from
2010 levels by 2030 to limit global warming to
1.5°C.
improving the sustainability of all aspects of our
school life.
• The changes that we make as a school are seen
by lots of people in our local community. This
means that we can influence positive change to
spread through society.
MODULE 9: IMPACTS OF RISK ASSESSMENTS OF
NANOTECHNOLOGY
Nano
• Expresses a very tiny amount or size
• A unit which means one billionth or 10^-9
• 1 inch=25,400,000 nanometer
• A sheet of newspaper= 100,000
nanometers thick
Nanotechnology
• Study and use of structures between
1-100 nanometers in size
• Refers to the design, characterization,
production and application of structures,
devices and systems by controlling shape
and size at nanometre scale.
Nanoscience
• Deals with the materials that are very
small using specialized microscopes and
nanodevices.
• The study of phenomena and
manipulation of materials at atomic,
molecular and macromolecular scales,
where properties differ significantly from
those at a larger scale
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS
WHY IS THERE SO MUCH INTEREST/CONCERN ABOUT
NANOTECHNOLOGY?
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In the same year that the Paris Agreement was
signed, 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
were adopted by all United Nations Member States.
The 17 goals set out all of the things that need to be
achieved to protect the planet and ensure that all
people enjoy peace and prosperity.
Sustainable Development: development means
that we need to reach this vision of the world
without preventing future generations from also
being able to meet their needs.
We need to be able to continue each action forever
without running out of resources or causing damage
that stops us from being able to carry on.
WHAT CAN WE DO?
Speak Up
• Make sure that world leaders know we are
counting on them.
• Your MP is the person that represents your
community’s needs and views in parliament.
• Reach out to businesses and our local council if
we feel like they need to do things differently too.
Act
• As a school community, we can help in the fight
against climate change and biodiversity loss by
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Huge gaps in knowledge concerning the possible
risks
Enormous potential
Difficulty in detecting and removing
Absence of regulation
METHODS OF MAKING NANOPARTICLES
Top Down
Cut objects smaller and smaller until attain
size needed.
Bottom Up
Add atoms together one by one to attain
correct property.
APPLICATIONS OF NANOTECHNOLOGY
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Nanotechnology: helping to considerably improve,
even revolutionize, many technology and industry
sectors
○ Information Technology
○ Medicine
○ Homeland Security
○ Food and Food safety
○ Energy and Transportation
○ Environmental Science
Environmental
Remediations
• Radioactive waste cleanup (titanate
nanofibers and nanotubes)
• Oil spill clean up (nanofabric “paper
towel” from tiny wires of
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potassium manganese oxide)
• Groundwater cleanup (iron particles)
Medical Field
Other
Applications
Agriculture
Other
Applications
Philippines DOST
Nanotech Lab
• Silver nanoparticles has antimicrobial
properties
• Drug delivery (nanobots, molecular scale
workers)
• Gold nanoparticles and nanoflares
(detection of cancer cells and gene
targets)
• Regenerative medicine (graphene
nanoribbons) – repair damage tissue
• Reduction of pollutants (silver
nanoclusters to reduce propylene oxide)
• Generation of electricity (silicon
nanowires in solar cells)
• Heat-resistant & self-cleaning surfaces
like floors and benchtops
• Silicon dioxide and titanium dioxide for
water & stain resistant surfaces
RISK ASSESSMENT PROBLEMS
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Very difficult to detect without sophisticated
equipment
Potential to adsorb toxic chemicals
Difficult to predict how particles will behave in the
environment (dispersed/clumped )
Persistence : Longevity of particles in the
environment and body are unknown
ETHICAL DILEMMAS OF NANOTECHNOLOGY
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Playing God?
Risk and Harm: patients and testing?
Values: individual or community?
Control over personal information?
• Breeding of crops with higher
micronutrients to detect pests & to control
food processing
• Nanoparticles to control soil, water and
air contamination
• Bionanotechnology helps in cleaner
production of alternative and renewable
energy sources
• Graphene used as one-layer coating
material
• Nanofiber from zeolite for purifying
methane gas in biodigesters
• Chitosan fiber membrane from
crustacean shells for heavy metal
treatments in water
• Nanobiosensors, nanosensors,
biosensors, portable nanosensors,
portable biosensors
DANGERS OF NANOTECHNOLOGY
Impacts of Nanotechnology to Health
DNA Damage
Lung Damage
Cell Damage
Immunosuppression
Can cross the blood-brain
barrier
MODULE 10: BIOTECHNOLOGY (GMO AND GENE
THERAPY)
BIOTECHNOLOGY
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AIMS OF BIOTECHNOLOGY
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Nano-bomb
Impacts of Nanotechnology to Environment
(Nano-contaminants)
Laundry: Ag NPs, metal oxide
NPs
Mining: fine metal oxide
particles
Combustion: soot/carbon, fly
ash, fullerenes
Medicine: Ag NPs, Au NPs
Auto-traffic: Pa & Pt Nps
Battery Waste, Fine Carbon
Particles
The use of microorganisms, cells, or cell
components to make a product such as commercial
production of foods, vaccines, antibiotics, and
vitamins.
Develop new precision tools and diagnostics
Speed up breeding gains and efficiency
Develop pest-resistant and disease-resistant crops
Reduces inputs and production costs, increased
profits
Combat salinity, drought, and problems of
agriculture
Enhance the nutritional value of foods
Increase crop varieties and choices
HISTORY OF GMOs
1953
DNA discovered by Watson & Crick
1973
Boyer & Cohen modified an organism by combining
genes from E.coli.
1982
• US Supreme Court allowed patenting of GMOs
• FDA approved Humulin (insulin) from E.coli.
1993
FDA approved bovine somatotropin (bST) for
increased milk production in cows
1994
FDA approved Flavr Savr tomato with longer
shelf-life
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1995
EPA approved Bt potatoes & corn, Roundup Ready
Soybeans
1996
• Superweeds resistant to glyphosate were
discovered. *glyphosate-herbicide for GMO crops
• Dolly was “born”
1997
Mandatory labeling of GMO food
1998
GMO papaya in Hawaii resistant to Ringspot virus;
produced Bacillus thuringiences toxin
1999
Over 100 million acres worldwide are planted with
Genetically engineered seeds
2000
Golden rice was developed in the Philippines to
address vit A deficiency; was thought to compromise
2003
Bt-toxin-resistant Helicoverpa zea was feasting on
GMO cotton crops
2006
Yorkshire pigs were genetically modified to produce
phytase in their saliva to digest phosphorous
2011
Researchers claimed that Bt toxin was found in blood
of pregnant women
2013
Corn and poplars were genetically modified and used
to produce biofuel
2014
• Patent on Roundup Ready line of genetically
engineered seeds ended.
• Monsanto was sued for chemical poisoning; was
claimed to be caused by the pesticide Lasso
(Roundup Ready line)
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traits or the production of desired biological
products.
Also known as transgenic organisms.
Achieved through genetic engineering.
BASIC STEPS IN GENETIC ENGINEERING
1.
2.
3.
4.
DNA is cut by restriction enzymes.
Recombinant DNA is produced.
Gene cloning, many copies of the gene of interest
are made each time the host cell reproduces.
Cells undergo selection and then are screened.
HISTORY OF GENE THERAPY
1972
Friedman & Roblin proposed that people with
genetic disorders can be treated by replacing
defective DNA with god DNA
1985
Anderson & Blaise showed that cells of patients
with Adenosine deaminase (ADA) deficiency can be
corrected
1990
First approved gene therapy on a 4-year old girl with
ADA
1993
First somatic treatment that produced permanent
genetic change was performed
2003
Gendicine; the first commercial gene therapy
product for cancer treatment was approved in China
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2016
Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use of
the European Medicines Agency endorsed gene
therapy treatment called Strimvelis that was
approved in 2018
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THE PROCESS OF GENETIC ENGINEERING IN PAPAYA
● This is the first fruit tree ever genetically engineered
(for resistance to a virus that kills papaya plants),
conducted by Land Grant Universities (University of
Hawaii and Cornell University) in the USA, and
licensed to the Hawaii papaya industry for use and
distribution.
GENE THERAPY
Gene therapy is the method of inserting gene or
nucleic acid into cells as drug to treat genetic
diseases.
Stem cell therapy is the utilization of stem cells to
treat or prevent disease or a condition.
GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISMS
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Genetically modified organism (GMO):organism
whose DNA has been modified in the laboratory in
order to favor the expression of desire physiological
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TYPES GENE THERAPY
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Somatic Gene Therapy
○ Transfer of a gene to any cell of the body
that does not produce sperm/eggs
○ The effects of gene therapy will not be
passed onto the patient’s offspring
Germline Gene Therapy
○ Transfer of a gene to any cell of the body
that produce sperm/eggs
○ The effects of gene therapy will be passed
onto the patient’s offspring
BASIC STEPS IN GENE THERAPY
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Identification of the affected gene.
Cloning of the required gene.
Loading the vector with the required gene.
Vector injected into the target cell.
Vector delivers the gene into the nucleus of the
target cell.
Delivered gene performs its function.
GENE THERAPY TECHNIQUES
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Gene augmentation therapy:if a required protein
is absent or non-functional or defective, a functional
gene is inserted to produce the required protein;
cystic fibrosis
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Gene inhibition therapy: if protein products of s
defective gene encourages the proliferation of
disease-related cells, a new gene is inserted to
either block the defective gene or its activity; cancer
cell
BIOTECHNOLOGY: PROGRESS, OPPOSITION AND RISK
ASSESSMENT
1.
2.
3.
4.
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Genetic Contamination or Interbreeding
● Ecosystem Impacts
Horizontal Transfer or Recombinant gene to
other Microorganisms (HGT)
● Could cause unpredicted allergic reactions
Biosafety
● Experiments might develop extremely
infectious forms that could cause
worldwide epidemics
Destructive Use of Genetic Engineering
Through Terrorism
● Moral and Ethical Issues
Killing of specific cells- targets diseased cells by
inserting “suicide” gene that produces toxic protein
product killing the diseased cell; insertion of protein
that will mark the cell for attact by immune system
cells;cancer cell
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