Biotechnology :- Biotechnology is a broad area of biology, involving the use of living systems and organisms to develop or make products.
The term "Biotechnology" was first used by "Karl Ereky" in 1919, meaning the production of products from raw materials with the aid of living organisms.
Biotechnology is based on the basic biological sciences (e.g. molecular biology, biochemistry, cell biology, embryology, genetics, microbiology) and conversely provides methods to support and perform basic research in wide concept of "biotech" or "biotechnology" encompasses a wide range of procedures for modifying living organisms according to human purposes, going back to domestication of animals, cultivation of the plants, and "improvements" to these through breeding programs that employ artificial selection and hybridization.
Wide concept of "biotech" or "biotechnology" encompasses a wide range of procedures for modifying living organisms according to human purposes, going back to domestication of animals, cultivation of the plants, and "improvements" to these through breeding programs that employ artificial selection and hybridization. improvements" to these through breeding programs that employ artificial selection and hybridization.
In the late 20th and early 21st centuries, biotechnology has expanded to include new and diverse sciences, such as genomics, recombinant gene techniques, applied immunology, and development of pharmaceutical therapies and diagnostic.
Boon of Biotechnology:-
Biotechnology has not only helped to modify the agricultural crops for increasing their nutritional aspects but has also increased their yields. Thus, biotechnology has proved to be a boon for the farmers. Genetically modified insecticidal plants have proved to be a beneficial way to decrease the use of insecticides.
In general way, Biotechnology is any technological application that uses biological systems, living organisms, or derivatives thereof, to make or modify products or processes for specific use"
A boon are listed below:-
The usefulness of microbes has proved to be a boon in pharmaceutical, agricultural and food processing industries.
Biotechnology has not only helped to modify the agricultural crops for increasing their nutritional aspects but has also increased their yields. Thus, biotechnology has proved to be a boon for the farmers.
Genetically modified insecticidal plants have proved to be a beneficial way to decrease the use of insecticides.
The decreasing use of insecticide would decrease their harmful effects on the crops.
The advancements in the field of biotechnology has provided a more precise detection of certain diseases by using highly sensitive biological recognition elements in biosensors.
A biological recognition element can be an antibody, nucleic acid or a microorganism. In order to improve the sensitivity of detection for the required parameter, one can modify the bio recognition element by using genetic engineering.
Biotechnology also plays a vital role in the treatment of various diseases.
The techniques of biotechnology is involved from growing the antibiotic producing microbes in fermentation broth to finally obtaining a pure antibiotic product in pharmaceutical industries. Furthermore, advanced treatment methods for various diseases can be enhanced using modern biotechnology.
Biotechnology also has a lot of applications in environmental monitoring. A biosensor is used to monitor certain pollutants like carbon dioxide, ethanol, etc in the environment more effective as they act as substrate for various enzymes. The pollutants acts as a substrate whereas the bio-recognition element.
Did you know that biotechnology can also help one to get rid of wastes? We all know that organic wastes are eaten up by tiny microbes in a process called bioremediation but using the modern day biotechnology one can manipulate or enhance the microbes to carry remediation in a more efficient and quick way; helping to provide for more sustainable agricultural production.
A reduction in the environmental impacts of agriculture, Increased production on the same amount of land, Improved food quality, and increased farmer incomes.
Enhanced potential for more vigorous growth and increasing yields Increased resistance to natural predators and pests, including insects and disease-causing microorganisms.
Production of hybrids exhibiting a combination of superior traits derived from two different strains or even different species.
Selection of genetic variants with desirable qualities such as increased protein value, increased content of limiting amino acids, which are essential in the human diet, or smaller plant size, reducing vulnerability to adverse weather condition
More than 12 million farmers around the world have chosen biotech crops because of the significant socioeconomic, environmental, and agricultural benefit they provide. But in India the situation is poor to adopt biotechnology in agricultural business easily.
Boons in agriculture:-
Applications” (ISAAA), from 2007 the Global uses of biotech crops are reaching a historic 282 million acres in 23 countries and more than 18 million farmers in 28 countries planted biotech crops in 181 million hectares in 2014, reflecting a 6.3 million or 3% to 4% increase in global biotech crop land. It shows the popularity of biotechnology in agriculture business. The reason for such impressive worldwide adoption rates is simple; as they are giving many benefits said Jim Greenwood, president and chief executive officer of the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO).
Boons in medicine & Pharma:-
Benefits of biotechnology can also be experienced in the medical institution.Its technological application includes pharmaceutical products and medicines, and human therapy.
DNA fingerprinting is used to diagnose inherited disorders in both prenatal and newborn babies in hospitals around the world.
Genetic diseases could be treated through the use of genetic engineering.
Defective genes in an organism cause genetic disorders. If a defective gene could be identified and located in a particular group of cells – it could be replaced with a functional one.
Boons of biotechnology to humankind:-
Norman Borlaug, Nobel laureate and father of the Green Revolution, called Genetically Modified (GM) crops a boon to humanity, blasting alarmists for bogus propaganda. Science writer Matt Ridley, author of the best-seller Genome, has long exposed the anti-GM campaign as unscientific.
A green activist, Mark Lynas, winner of the Royal Society Science Book Prize for Six Degrees, was once destroying GM crops but later apologized for “demonizing an important technological option”.
He further added “I’d assumed that GM crops would increase the use of chemicals. It turned out that pest-resistant cotton and maize needed less insecticide”. These two examples are enough evidence to show the importance of biotechnology in the mean time.
Conclusion:-
Biotechnology is an emerging platform. The potential benefits include solving world food shortages, and improvements in medicine, agriculture, and veterinary sciences.
Based on our own experience, we see a greater transformation in the way industrial chemical are being manufactured with conscious efforts of reducing the toxic waste.
It shows that biotechnology is really boons for the farmers and the industries if it uses properly and perfectly. Yes we have to avoid some scientific task from biotech then it will be definitely a boon for humankind that bane to us. Hence it proves the hypothetical statement that “The biotechnology is boon for the humankind”.
The field of biotechnology is relatively a new field and thus it cannot be predicted whether it is good or bad as the long term effects are unknown. However, it has proved to be a boon in case short term scenario.
Blog Author:- Sakshi Rajendra Mahajan
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