Definition of biotechnology: "...any technique that uses living organisms (or parts of
organisms) to make or modify products, to improve plants or animals, or to develop
microorganisms for specific use" (Wells, Poszywak, & Dunham, 2000, p. 63).
Biotechnology is often thought of as essentially being the same as genetic engineering.
However, there are other areas of biotechnology that are very important and that have
strongly influenced society. Genetic engineering is, in fact, a very important and
influential part of biotechnology. Nevertheless, humans used biotechnology before true
civilizations appeared and before genetics were understood. They used an old form
biotechnology when they handed down the steps of how to make wines and cheeses for
example. People back then did not really understand how the organisms worked to
produce foods, and they did not understand how to efficiently manipulate the processes
and organisms responsible. Wells, Poszywak, and Dunham (2000) characterize modern
biotechnology as the deliberate and thoughtful manipulation of biotechnology processes.
Beyond brewing beer or making cheese, biotechnology has been improving society in
profound ways via new medicines, foods, fertilizers, and a wide range of processes.
However, biotechnology has also caused society to examine its values by expanding the
technological frontier toward the implementation of technologies like "designer babies,"
replacement limbs and organs grown from stem cells, biological warfare agents, and the
artificial extension of life by slowing the aging process. Therefore, it is important for
every person to have a good understanding of biotechnology. Who among us will make
these important value based decisions? Hopefully, our most educated.
Biotechnology Areas
Environmental Applications
Bioremediation is using organisms in processes that help to clean polluted
environments. This is an important technology. Take for example the clean up of
an oil spill. Humans may physically go into a spill site and clean oil out of the water and
scrub it from rocks.
However, there is no way that a human can completely remove the oil from sand and
sediments. If there were a bacterium that ate oil (or metabolized oil), then it could be
released into the oil-polluted area to finish the clean up job. When biotechnology
companies find an organism with special properties they may use genetic engineering to
enhance the needed characteristic, produce the organism, and implement it. Both the
genetic alteration and the organism's use on pollution are forms of biotechnology.
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Biological controls, biosensors, biotreatment, biorestoration, and phytoremediation are all
means of using biotechnology to clean or protect the environment. For example,
biosensors may be deployed to detect changes in the health of the environment. Some
processes use plant life, as in phytoremediation, and others use animal life, like bacteria.
In most cases, the way the biological organism ends up helping the environment is by
ingesting and metabolizing some sort of substance that is harmful to the environment but
is not harmful to the organism. As biotechnology is increasingly applied toward
improving the environment, and more genetically engineered organisms are released into
the environment, more safeguards will need to be put in place toensure that
biotechnological solutions do not unexpectedly become biotechnological problems.
Agriculture and Biotechnology
Genetically altered crops and animals are among the most significant applications of
biotechnology. Selective breeding has been practiced for thousands of years. Humans
domesticated many farm animals and pets through selective breeding. However, this
process is very slow. It takes generations of animals to begin to see meaningful
differences in livestock simply through selective breeding. Genetic engineering has
enabled both crop and livestock producers to create improvements to stocks and
implement them in one or two generations. Stronger tomatoes, different varieties of corn,
and quick-growing produce are just a few of the agricultural related applications of
biotechnology. Crops have been designed that are good for growing in hydroponic
facilities without the use of soil. Crops and animals may be bred for pest and disease
resistance, or for resistance to the elements such as frost or draught. Dairy production and
poultry production are just two examples of agricultural applications of biotechnology in
which yields have been greatly increased. Using predators to control pests is a great way
to reduce the amount of pesticide needed to ensure a particular yield. The same is true for
weed control. A farmer may use less herbicide if he or she grows weed
resistant crops and uses organisms that eat weeds but leave crops untouched. Farmers
could also grow flounder or halibut that are better at surviving while grown in enclosures
instead of being harvested from the sea. Aquaculture and aquaponics are becoming more
attractive to farmers with the assistance of biotechnology applications.
Bioprocessing
Biological organisms are also important in the production of products in industry.
Bacteria are especially useful in purification and separation processes. Like in the
bioremediation process, if an organism ingests a substance, then it may excrete two
different substances as a result of its metabolizing of the original matter. Therefore, some
chemical may be extracted in the process. Brewing beer is a very old example of
bioprocessing, but as new organisms are discovered or designed, other applications will
follow. For example, one particular type of bacteria is being used in the mining and
refining of gold, and another organism is helping to mine copper.
Genetic Engineering
Genetic engineering is based on the manipulation of genes (Grace, 1997). Genes
hold the blueprint for how every living thing grows, looks, and behaves. Genes
are made of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). At the root of why genetic engineering is
possible, is the fact that the very same DNA that works in humans also works in bacteria
or lower primates or swine. In some genetic engineering applications, the genes of one
organism may be combined with the genes of another organism. If there were two
organisms, say bacteria, and each had different but desirable characteristics, then the
genes responsible for each characteristic could be combined in one of the organisms. For
example, a bacterium is resistant to a certain kind of mold. Another bacterium may
actually produce a toxin that attacks molds. With genetic engineering a bacterium could
be developed that would actually attack mold effectively. Perhaps its application could be
to protect crops that are especially susceptible to molds. In practice, bacteria are
especially good organisms to use in genetic engineering because they reproduce rapidly.
You do not need to wait around for years until the organism matures. You can tell within
days whether or not a bacterium is functioning as it was designed to function.
Furthermore, bacteria may be reproduced rapidly enough to conduct industrial processes
in huge vats.
http://www.carolina.com/biotech/onion.asp
Bacteria are not the only organisms used in genetic engineering. Higher vertebrates
like sheep are being cloned. Cloning is the production of an exact copy of something.
Dolly, is a cloned sheep. She was not reproduced with a father sheep and a mother sheep.
Instead she is simply a genetic copy of her mother. The prospect of applying this
technology to the cloning of humans has generated great ethical debate. Could such a
technology lead to the patenting of human life? Companies may patent bacteria. There
are other somewhat less controversial applications and benefits of genetic engineering.
For example, genetically altered crops offer resistance to a variety of threats including
drought, frost, pests, and disease. Genetic engineering has been used to cause bacteria to
produce medicines such as human insulin, which is much more effective in diabetics than
synthetic insulin. Similarly, genetic engineering is used to produce a clotting agent for
hemophiliacs. Genetic engineering is being used in the development of vaccines, and
more applications are being developed every day.
http://www.ornl.gov/hgmis/
http://vector.cshl.org/dnaftb/
References
Grace, E. S. (1997). Biotechnology unzipped: Promises and realities. Washington, D.C.:
Joseph Henry Press. Wells, J., Poszywak, K., & Dunham, T. (2000). Technology
Education BiotechnologyCurriculum. Morgantown, WV: author. West Virginia
University, College of HR&E, Technology Education Program, 509-D Allen Hall,
Morgantown, WV 26508, (304) 293-3803.
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Related VoCATS Test Items
1. Any technique that uses living organisms (or parts of organisms) to make or modify
products...
A. agriculture
B. genetic engineering
C. biotechnology
D. hydroponics
2. This may be used to monitor the health of the environment with biosensors.
A. infrared sensors
B. biotechnology
C. satellite technology
D. genetic engineering
3. This cleans pollution by degrading complex chemicals into simpler substances.
A. biotechnology
B. environmental engineering
C. chemical reaction
D. waste management
4. This helps crops become resistant to insects and pests without the use of as much
pesticide.
A. herbicide resistance
B. tissue culturing
C. agriculture
D. biotechnology
5. Using living organisms or parts of living organisms to mine ores like gold and copper.
A. bioprocessing
B. genetic engineering
C. agribusiness
D. tissue culture
6. Aquaponics and aquaculture are assisted in the development of hardier stocks of fish
and crops. This is an application of:
A. selective breeding
B. genetic engineering
C. Human Genome Project
D. Bioresources
7. This has been used to produce a more human-like synthetic insulin.
A. bioprocess
B. biomass
C. genetic engineering
D. phytoremediation
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8. Applications of genetic engineering have included the development of which medical
technology?
A. biomass
B. biochemistry
C. bioreaction
D. vaccines
9. The fact that __________ works in any animal is the key to genetic engineering being
successful.
A. biomass
B. bioreaction
C. DNA
D. biofiltration
10. The genetic makeup of all life forms.
A. biomass
B. DNA
C. breeding
D. biotechnology
11. Genetic engineering includes which one of the following processes?
A. bioremediation
B. cloning
C. bioprocessing
D. biomass
12. The making of cheese and bread is an example of:
A. bioremediation
B. cloning
C. bioprocessing
D. traditional biotechnolgy