What Is Biotechnology?: Fig.1. Different Applications of Biotechnology

What is Biotechnology?
The use of biology to develop technologies and products for the welfare of
human beings is known as Biotechnology. It has various applications in
different fields such as Therapeutics, Diagnostics, Processed Food, Waste
Management, Energy Production, Genetically Modified Crops etc.
Fig.1. Different Applications of Biotechnology
Biotechnology Applications in Agriculture

The use of Biotechnology in Agriculture is known as Green Biotechnology.
Biotechnology had contributed a lot towards the upliftment of agriculture. The
organisms formed after manipulation of genes is known as Genetically Modified
Organisms such as Crops, Animals, Plants, Fungi, Bacteria etc. Genetically
modified crops are formed by manipulation of DNA to introduce new trait into the
crops. These manipulations are done to introduce traits such as pest resistance,
insect resistance, weed resistance etc.
For Example: Bt. Cotton. Bacillus thuringiensis is a bacterium that produces
an endotoxin which is insecticidal. This toxin when taken in by an insect, the
insect get paralyzed and dies off. The gene responsible for producing endotoxin
is isolated and inserted into the genome of the cotton plant. This prevents the
cotton plant from the attack of the insects.
A nematode known as Melodegyne incognitia infects the roots to the tobacco
plant. This reduces the yield of the plant. To prevent this, RNA interference
strategy is used. This uses a complementary RNA that degrades the mRNA of
nematode responsible for infection in roots of the tobacco plant.
Biotechnology Applications in Medicine

The use of biotechnology in medicine is known as Medicinal Biotechnology.
This helps in formation of genetically modified insulin known as humulin. This
helps in treatment of large number of diabetes patients.
Biotechnology has given rise to a technique known as gene therapy. Gene
therapy is a technique to remove genetic defect in embryo or child. This
technique involves transfer of a normal gene that works over non-functional
gene.
Biotechnology in Diagnosis
It helps in disease diagnosis by various techniques such
as ELISA, PCR etc. ELISA (Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay) is based on
antigen and antibody reaction to detect different diseases. PCR (Polymerase
Chain Reaction) is technique to amplify specific DNA segment. This helps to
detect HIV in AIDS patients.
Biotechnology and its Application in

Aquaculture Fisheries
It helps in improving the quality and quantity of fishes. Through biotechnology,
fishes are induced to breed via gonadotropin releasing hormone.
 Growth Enhancement
 Genetic Characterization
 Control of Diseases
 Metabolic Engineering
 Trans genesis
Transgenic Animals
Animals that have their DNA manipulated are known as Transgenic
Animals. For Example: Rats, Rabbits, Pigs, Sheep etc. These animals help to
understand how genes are regulated and how they help in development of
animals. It helps to study how genes are responsible for the development of
various diseases. Transgenic Animals have foreign gene inserted deliberately
into their Genome. This Foreign Gene is inserted into pronuclei of fertilized egg.
This fertilized egg is then inserted into the surrogate mother whose uterus is
activated artificially, to implant the fertilized egg. Such mother is known
as Surrogate Mother. The mother give birth to genetically modified
organisms. For Example: Dolly was a female domestic sheep and the
first animal to be cloned from an adult somatic cell.
Biotechnology in Production of Antibiotics

Plants are used to develop antibiotics for Humans as well as for Animal use. It
helps in production of antibiotics, vaccines and artificial hormones for hormone
therapies.
Edible Vaccines are mucosal-targeted vaccines, which cause stimulation of both
systematic and mucosal immune response. Edible vaccines hold great promise
as a cost-effective, easy-to-administer, easy-to-store and fail-safe readily
acceptable vaccine delivery system, especially for the poor developing countries.
It involves introduction of selected desired genes into plants and then inducing
these altered plants to manufacture the encoded proteins. Edible vaccines are
being developed for various diseases, such as Measles, Cholera and Hepatitis B,
and many more are in the process of development.

What Is Biotechnology?: Fig.1. Different Applications of Biotechnology

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What Is Biotechnology?: Fig.1. Different Applications of Biotechnology

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What is Biotechnology?

Fig.1. Different Applications of Biotechnology

Biotechnology Applications in Agriculture

Biotechnology Applications in Medicine

Biotechnology and its Application in

Biotechnology in Production of Antibiotics

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