Biotechnology is the use of technologies in living organisms for the development and improvement of certain products such as food and medicine.
Biotechnology is applied in different sectors to help optimize the performance of products and is mainly applied in the area of pharmacology, agriculture and the environment.
Biotechnology dates back to ancient times when techniques for manipulating living beings were already used to obtain certain results, such as making wine or bread, the secret of which is the fermentation carried out by microorganisms, yeasts, which is known as traditional biotechnology.
However, with the development of various scientific areas, and especially with that related to the DNA molecule, they transformed the way of manipulating organisms, relying in part on recombinant DNA techniques, which gave rise to the use of genetic engineeringgiving rise to the modern biotechnology that modifies and transfers genes from one organism to another, for example, producing human insulin in bacteria.
Also, in the field of genetics, biotechnology is applied in reproductive cloning for cases of infertility or to avoid future diseases, and therapeutic cloning is used for the treatment of degenerative diseases using stem cells. Many of the applications of biotechnology are advantageous for humanity, but they also generate controversies regarding the consequences on the health of living beings and the environmental and societal impacts.
On the other hand, biotechnology is also one of the fields of study of biological engineering or bioengineering.
Advantages and disadvantages of biotechnology
Advantages of biotechnology
Increased production of food, antibodies and insulin. Possibility of obtaining nutritious foods with medicinal properties. Production of biodegradable products to reduce environmental pollution. Therapeutic techniques for diseases without a cure, such as cancer. Use of bioremediation to control and eliminate environmental pollution.
Disadvantages of biotechnology
Interference in the balance of nature. Intensive use of inorganic fertilizers. Production of transgenic foods that can cause allergies. Production of stem cells that produce cellular stress causing premature aging.
Biotechnology applications
Biotechnology in medicine
In this area, the red biotechnology It is applied in medical processes. For example: production of insulin, medications, vaccines; manipulation of animals to use the organs in transplants, production of antibodies in the laboratory for patients with a deficient immune system, therapy for the treatment of diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular, stem cells for therapeutic purposes, etc.
Biotechnology in agriculture
It is called as green biotechnology to the ecological strategy to increase or maintain natural resources through the genetic improvement of plants through the use of pesticides, fertilizers and others, as well as the processing of transgenic foods.
Biotechnology in the environment
Biotechnology in the environment is a way of using controlled natural processes to improve the condition of contaminated ecosystems or create biodegradable solutions that prevent pollution. Sometimes living beings such as bacteria, algae, plants, among others, are used to carry out processes such as fermentation, aerobic, anaerobic respiration and others. Another application of environmental biotechnology is the reuse of agricultural waste or effluents for the production of energy and biofuels.
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