Biotechnology and Human Health (Grade A+)

Summary:

Biotechnology is a technology that utilizes biological systems, living organisms, or their parts to develop and create various products. It encompasses traditional processes such as brewing and baking, which utilize living organisms like yeast, and more modern advancements that involve modifying biological systems or organisms.

The history of biotechnology dates back thousands of years, when humans started using biological processes to improve their lives, particularly in agriculture and food production. In the 1960s and ’70s, molecular and cellular technologies emerged, leading to the formation of the biotech industry. Companies like Genentech, Amgen, and Biogen pioneered the commercialization of genetically engineered substances.

Biotechnology finds applications in various fields, with significant contributions in medicine and agriculture. It includes bioinformatics, which merges biological information with computer technology, nanotechnology for exploring microscopic equipment in the human body, and regenerative medicine, which involves stem cell research and cloning. Biotechnology is also utilized in refining industrial processes, environmental cleanup, and agricultural production through genetic engineering.

Biotechnological innovations are already part of everyday life, found in pharmacies and supermarkets. They played a crucial role during the COVID-19 pandemic by helping decode the virus genome and understanding the body’s defence mechanisms. Biotechnology’s future applications include disease prevention and containment, among many others.

Overall, biotechnology has a wide range of uses and applications, shaping various aspects of society and providing solutions for healthcare, agriculture, and beyond.

Excerpt:

Biotechnology and Human Health

BUSINESS – MODULE 3

BIOTECHNOLOGY

Biotechnology is a technology that utilizes biological systems, living organisms or parts of this to develop or create different products.

Brewing and baking bread are examples of processes that fall within the concept of biotechnology (use of yeast (= living organism) to produce the desired product). Such traditional processes usually utilize the living organisms in their natural form (or further developed by breeding), while the more modern form of biotechnology will generally involve a more advanced modification of the biological system or organism.