Imapct Of Biotechnology Essay Example

by 2030.Furthermore, genetically modified seeds that are resistant to pests and drought have allowed American farmers to increase their production of corn and soybeans - crucial ingredients for biofuels.Biotechnology plays a critical role in meeting agricultural targets by enhancing productivity.

Biotechnology finds applications across healthcare,crop production and agriculture non-food uses of crops ,as well as environmental uses.
Various branches of biotechnology cater different scientific fields: red biotechnology focuses on medical processes;green biotechnology pertains to agricultural processes;

White biotechnology encompasses industrial processes, while blue biotechnology focuses on marine and aquatic applications. These branches cover a broad range of applications across various scientific fields. In the field of medicine, biotechnology techniques play a vital role in diagnosing and treating diseases. They also provide opportunities for disease prevention and advancements such as gene therapy, recombinant DNA technology, and polymerase chain reaction. These techniques utilize genes and DNA molecules to diagnose diseases and replace damaged cells with healthy genes.

Combining pharmacology and genomics has yielded positive outcomes in medicine by optimizing drug production based on an individual's genetic makeup. This personalized approach allows for customized drug development using specific genes, enzymes, RNA molecules, and protein drugs associated with diseases. Pharmacologists contribute to maximizing therapeutic effects while minimizing harm to surrounding healthy cells.

Understanding how a patient's genetic makeup affects their ability to process and metabolize medication is crucial for doctors to determine proper dosages and improve accuracy in treatment. This knowledge plays a vital role in enhancing drug effectiveness while reducing side effects.

Furthermore, this text highlights the importance of identifying target genes linked to diseases and disorders for discovering new drugs.Modern biotechnology plays a critical role in developing therapies that specifically target genes,

leading to more successful treatment outcomes. Genetic engineering also contributes to improving vaccines by modifying organisms, making them safer, more durable, easier to store, and more cost-effective. Genetic testing methods like electrophoresis directly examine DNA molecules for mutations. Scientists compare patients' DNA samples to their genomes to identify any present mutations. Genetic testing can be done on healthy individuals or their descendants to assess the risk of certain diseases by comparing specific gene sequences.
The applications of genetic testing include carrier selection, diagnosing illnesses that require affected gene copies, confirming diagnoses in symptomatic individuals, determining sex, forensic/identity testing, prenatal diagnosis, assessing cancer risk in adults, and predicting onset disturbances in adults. It is important to note that many developed countries already offer genetic tests for rare disorders such as cystic fibrosis, sickle cell anemia, and Huntington disease. More advanced tests have also been developed for detecting conditions like breast and ovarian cancer.
It is crucial to acknowledge that individuals may have different risks based on their unique genetic mutations and not all mutations can currently be detected.Gene therapy is a technique that involves modifying human cells' DNA by introducing a new gene using a vector. If successful, this new gene will produce a functional protein. It is used to treat diseases like cancer and AIDS by either replacing or enhancing faulty genes or the immune system. This can be achieved using natural genes found in the body or gametes (sperm and eggs).

There are two initial approaches to gene therapy. In ex vivo gene therapy, cells are extracted from the patient's blood or bone marrow and grown in a lab. A virus containing the desired gene is then

introduced into these cells, integrating it into their DNA. After development in the lab, the modified cells are injected back into the patient's vein.

On the other hand, natural gene therapy directly modifies the recipient's genome by introducing new genes. Germline gene therapy modifies genes within sperm and eggs of parents with an intention of passing on these changes to their offspring.

In vivo gene therapy directly modifies cells within the patient's body without removing them. Another method used in gene therapy is cloning, which involves transferring one cell's nucleus into an unfertilized egg cell with a deactivated or removed nucleus.

There are two types of cloning: reproductive cloning and therapeutic cloning.The egg cell is placed in the uterus to develop into a genetically identical fetus through therapeutic cloning. Alternatively, embryonic stem cells can be obtained by placing the egg in a Petri dish for potential treatment of various ailments. The successful cloning of Dolly the sheep in 1997 gained media attention and raised ethical concerns about human cloning. Biotechnology, including genetic engineering, has applications in agriculture and food production. This technology allows for modifying the genetic compositions of plants, animals, and microorganisms. There are an increasing number of isolated genes available for transfer. Commercial applications include enhancing crop yield by adding genes to crop varieties. Increasing crop yield through genetic engineering is challenging but significant. Engineered crops are commonly used in agriculture with numerous field tests conducted and some approved for commercial use. Traits like herbicide tolerance, insect tolerance, and virus tolerance are frequently introduced into crops to benefit chemical companies that produce lethal doses of herbicides that can withstand them. Insect-tolerant plants utilize Bacillus thuringiensis (Bat)

toxin which effectively targets pests while being harmless to mammals and other organismsThere are concerns about the use of Bat crops in biotechnology, as it may lead to resistance developing quickly and render the Bat toxin ineffective as a pesticide. This limited duration of environmental benefits raises concerns among farmers and environmentalists. Another application of biotechnology involves enhancing virus tolerance in crops by incorporating certain genes from viruses. Currently, papaya and squash have been approved for commercial use as virus-tolerant crops, but there is an issue with underperforming squash resistant to two viruses when grown in fields. Biotechnology has potential benefits in addressing food shortages, advancements in medicine, agriculture, and veterinary sciences. It can also help reduce toxic effluents in industrial processes and contribute to environmental management. Strict regulation is crucial to ensure safety when using this technology. Despite concerns and potential risks, if caution is exercised, biotechnology has the potential to offer exciting opportunities for mankind. However, genetic engineering poses a significant threat to biodiversity globally due to human activities contributing to its decline already. Introducing genetically modified organisms (GMOs) does not solve the problem of decreasing plant diversity caused by consistently choosing productive and resistant crop varieties; it might even worsen this issue.Biodiversity loss is mainly caused by deforestation and pollution from fungicides and herbicides. These pose urgent threats that require attention. Engineered crop varieties are often promoted for their resistance to harmful chemicals like herbicides, but this can harm the environment as these herbicides kill all plants they come into contact with, reducing biodiversity in cultivated fields. Furthermore, the use of GMOs raises economic concerns due to high research and development costs

associated with genetically engineered organisms. This leads companies in the industry to seek patents and prevent unauthorized usage of their technology.

Monsanto, the largest global agricultural and chemical corporation, faces ongoing challenges in protecting its investments. To address concerns about benefiting only buyers of genetically modified organisms, Monsanto has developed infertile crop seeds containing a "terminator" or "suicide" gene. However, this limited usability has drawn criticism from various interest groups.

As a result, farmers now have to purchase Monsanto seeds annually instead of following traditional seed-saving practices in African agriculture. This dependence on biotech companies contradicts Africans' desire for self-sufficiency and highlights the economic impact of biotechnology by consolidating larger farms and concentrating profits into fewer hands.Biotechnology has a significant role in the transition from small farms to large ones and agribusiness, resulting in concentrated wealth. Its contributions to human welfare include important advancements such as monoclonal antibodies, DNA probes, recombinant vaccines, valuable drugs like insulin, gene therapy, authentication and fingerprinting in medicine. Biotechnology also encompasses genetic engineering techniques such as creating transgenic plants, using molecular markers for identification purposes, germless conservation methods, rapid clonal multiplication through meristematic culture processes, and accelerated isolation of homozygous lines in plant biotechnology.

Animal biotechnology is another field within biotechnology that includes techniques such as hormone-induced superovulation to stimulate multiple egg production, embryo splitting for identical offspring, multiplication of superior animals with desirable traits, and genetic engineering processes for creating transgenic animals.

Environmental biotechnology focuses on tasks like sewage treatment, petroleum degradation, oil spill management,and insect pest control. Industrial biotechnology involves the production of compounds such as ethanol,lactic acid,glycerin,citric acid,detergent enzymes etc,mineral extraction from low-grade ores through leaching.Biotechnology for Human Welfare aims to

provide a platform for sharing new approaches in bioscience and technology across various domains.This conference aims to merge recent scientific advancements with engineering applications and promote the translation of established ideas into practical products and remedial processes. It will present the most recent progress in bioscience and technology.