CHAPTER 1: INFORMATION AGE Pre-Industrial Age

A time before there were machines and

Information Age tools to help them perform the tasks. About
Computer Age, Digital Age, New Media 2.5 million years before writing used stone
Age, Internet Age. tools, which they may have used to start
fires, hunt, and bury their dead.
A historic period in the 21st century Communicators were limited between
characterized by the rapid shift from communities. People used traditional paper
traditional industry that the Industrial and writing materials, signs or symbols to
Revolution brought through industrialization, communicate with each other. For example,
to an economy based on information Egyptians used papyrus scrolls. Sumerians
technology. used clay tablets, Pre-historic men used
hand stencils and simple geometric shapes
Early Developments of Information Age to create art on the walls of caves and
Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing
1945 - Fremont Rider described the press during Renaissance period.
miniaturized microform analog photographs,
which could be duplicated on-demand for Industrial Age
library patrons and other institutions. Is a period of history that encompasses
the changes in economic and social
1965 - Moore’s law was formulated. It is an organization that began around 1760 in
observation that the number of transistors in Great Britain and later in other countries,
a dense integrated circuit doubles about characterized chiefly by the replacement of
every two years. hand tools with power-driven machines
such as the power loom and the steam
Early 1980 -production of the smaller and engine, and by concentration of industry in
less expensive personal computers allowed large establishments.
for direct access to information.
Communication during the Industrial
1995 - Nicholas Negroponte published his Age
book, Being Digital, the similarities and Samuel F.B Morse invented the telegraph
differences between products made of which became the standard for international
atoms and bits. communication with a modified code.

Primary Information Age - newspaper, Alexander Graham Bell patent the

radio television. telephone, an electric tool transmitting
Tertiary Information Age - emerged by analogue speech along wires.
media of the Primary Information age
interconnected with media of the Secondary Thomas Edison invented the phonograph,
Information Age. a device for the mechanical recording and
reproduction of sound.

Heinrich Hertz identified and studied radio

waves in 1886.
Guglielmo Marconi developed the first IBM is the first mass produced computer
practical radio transmitters and receivers. with floating-point arithmetic hardware.

Philo Farnsworth invented the first fully Hewlett Packard 9100A is an early
electronic television. It became an important computer or programmable calculator.
mass medium for advertising, propaganda
and entertainment. Floppy disk is removal magnetic storage
medium.
Electronic Age
Began when electronic equipment and Walkman is originally used for portable
large technologies, including computers audio cassette players.
came into use. The invention of the
transistors that led to the transistor radio, Information Age
electronic circuits, and the early computers. People advanced the use of
In this age, long distance communication microelectronics with the invention of
became more efficient. personal computers, mobile devices, and
wearable technology. Moreover, voice,
Transistor led to the creation of other media image, sound and data are digitized. We are
tool. now living in the information age.

Enigma machine is a piece of spook YouTube was created by Chad Hurley,

hardware used as a way of deciphering Steve Chen and Jawed Karim/ itis an online
German signals traffic during World War video-sharing platform. It also allows users
Two. to view, upload, share, report, subscribe and
comment on videos.
Transistor radio became the most popular
electronic communication and device in Facebook Inc. was founded by Mark
history. Zuckerberg and his fellow roommates and
students. It is a popular global social
EDSAC (Electronic Delay Storage networking website. It also offers other
Calculator) products and services such as Facebook
Is considered to be the first stored Messenger, Facebook Watch and Facebook
program electronic computer. Portal.

ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Integrator MacBooks is a discontinued Macintosh

and Computer) portable computer developed and sold by
As the first electronic general purpose Apple Inc. it includes a Retina display,
digital computer. fanless design and a shallower butterfly
keyboard and a single USB-C port for power
UNIVAC (Universal Automatic Computer) and data.
Is a line of electronic digital
stored-program computers. Google LLC is based on multinational
technology company that specializes in
internet-related services and products,
which include software, hardware, online
advertising, a search engine and cloud
computing.

Microsoft Corporation develops,

manufactures, licenses, supports and sells
computer software, consumer electronics,
personal computers and related services.
CHAPTER 2: BIODIVERSITY AND diversity indicates populations that
HEALTHY SOCIETY can more easily adapt to changing
situations and environments, and
Biological diversity comprises the variety also greater assortment of materials
of all life on earth. It also pertains to the than can be found, increasing the
relative abundance and richness of the chances of finding a useful
different traits, species, and ecosystem in a compound (Bernhardt, 1999).
particular area or region. The biodiversity
we see today is the outcome of over 3.5 2. Species diversity refers to the
billion years of evolutionary history, shaped variety of different types of species
by natural processes and increasingly, by found in a particular area.
the influence of humans. Biodiversity forms
the web of life of which we are an integral 3. Ecosystem/ Ecological diversity
part and upon which we fully depend. refers to the variety of different types
of species found in a particular area.
The United Nations Convention on It includes terrestrial, marine and
Biological Diversity (Earth Summit in Rio de freshwater ecosystems.
Janeiro, brazil in 1992), of which Philippines
is one of the 154 member countries who Ecosystem is the unit of interaction
signed the declaration, defines biodiversity between the biotic community and its
as the variability among living organisms physical environment in a given area. It is a
from all source, including inter alia, self-contained community of
terrestrial, marine and other aquatic microorganisms, animals and plants that
ecosystems, and the ecological Complexes interact with each other and with their
of which they are part: this includes diversity physical environment.
within species, between species and of
ecosystems. Zamora (1997) defined Habitat is a place in which a particular
biodiversity as the ensemble and the species of organism lives.
interactions of the genetic, the species, and
the ecological diversity in a given place and Importance of Biodiversity
at a given time. The World Wild Fund for ● It supports healthy ecosystems.
Nature (1989) defined it as the wealth of life ● It is an essential part of the solution
on earth, the millions of plants, animals and to climate change
microorganisms, the genes they contain, ● It is good for the economy.
and the intricate ecosystems they help build ● It is an integral part of culture and
into the living environment. identity.
● It provides raw materials like lumber,
Three Types of Biological Diversity food, spices etc.
1. Genetic diversity refers to the ● It provides opportunities for
variations among the genetic recreational activities, such as bird
resources of the organisms. A gene watching, scuba diving, snorkeling,
is a unit of hereditary information and nature photography.
consisting of a specific nucleotide ● It serves as the source of medicine.
sequence in DNA. High genetic
What do we get from biodiversity? 13. Bubalus mindorensis (tamarau or
1. Oxygen dwarf water buffalo), one of the top
2. Food ten most endangered species in the
3. Clean Water world and the largest endangered
4. Medicine animal.
5. Aesthetics
6. Lumber One indication that a species may be
7. Ideas endangered is a dwindling in numbers. The
list of endangered species is long and
Status of Philippine Biodiversity growing. In the 2000 Red List of the
The Department of Environment and International Union for the Conservation of
Natural Resources (DENR 2009) claims that Nature and Natural resources (IUCN), of the
in terms of biodiversity, the Philippine was 52,177 species in the Philippines, 418 were
5th in the world as to number of plant listed as threatened. The Philippine
species; 8th in the world list of endemic Biodiversity Conservation Priority-setting
plants; 4th in endemic birds; 5th in endemic Program (PBCPP) described the 121
mammals; and 8th in endemic reptiles. endemic mammals as critically endangered.
The Bird Life International listed 116 of
List of identified endemic species species of birds in the country are
1. Rafflesia manillana, the world’s threatened or near threatened. According to
largest flower. the Department of Environment and Natural
2. Vanda sanderiana (waling-waling), Resources report (2010), out of 584 wildlife
one of the world’s largest orchid in the country, 72% are already threatened
species. with extinction. Several species of plants,
3. Pithecophaga jefferyi (monkey frogs, reptiles and insects remain to be
-eating eagle), the largest bird documented. Unfortunately, several species
4. Rhyncodon typus, the largest fish were believed to have vanished without
5. Tridacna gigas (giant clam), the being identified.
largest seashell
6. Pandaka pygmea (dwarf goby), the Threats to Biodiversity
smallest freshwater fish 1. Environmental Pollution
7. Tarsius syrichta (tarsier), the Domestic agriculture and industrial
smallest primate wastes are poorly treated and are
8. Tragalus nigricans, the smallest often discharged into the sea, and to
hoofed mammal other bodies of water, such as rivers
9. Tylonycteris pachpus (bamboo and lakes. Pollution can lead to
bat), the smallest bat; diseases and pollution stresses,
10. Pisidum, the tiniest shell in the such as coral bleaching on reefs.
world
11. Connus gloriamaris, one of the 2. Over-exploitation/ Over-hunting/
most expensive shells in the world Over-harvesting/ Over-fishing
12. Cervus alfredi, the most Commercial logging, community
endangered deer logging, timber poaching, and
kaingin (slash and burn agriculture).
 In mangrove ecosystem, the f. Apathy or failure to account for the
extraction of fuel and construction value of biodiversity
ma Genetically Modified Organisms
Worldwide, over 191 million hectares
3. Habitat Loss/ Habitat destruction/ have been planted with genetically modified
Habitat alteration. crops as of 2018, particularly herbicide and
In coral reefs, coastal development, pest-resistant canola, cotton, corn and
aquaculture, agriculture, and soybeans. The United States had the
land-cover change increasing largest area worldwide of GM crops,
sediments and nutrients outflow onto followed by Brazil, Argentina, Canada and
reefs, and the muro-ami fishing India (Shahbandeh, 2019).
technique. The development of Fun facts: The first commercially
fishponds (aquaculture) in mangrove available GM food was called the Flavr Savr
forest. tomato that had an antisense gene that
increased its shelf life and delayed ripening
4. Climate Change ( Bruening and Lyons, 2000). Designed by
Drastic changes in the atmosphere researchers at Calgene (now a division of
can have catastrophic effects such Monsanto, Inc.). Monsanto is the leading
as increased concentration of company in genetically modified crops
greenhouse gases and destruction based on revenue.
of forest.
GMOs or Genetically Modified
5. Invasive species or Non-native Organisms are organisms whose genetic
species material has been altered using genetic
Invasive species are a greater threat engineering techniques, which is a direct
to native biodiversity than pollution, manipulation of an organisms genome.
harvest, and disease combined According to the World Health Organization
(Simberloff, 2000). It can cause (WHO,2004) GMOs are organisms, either
alterations either within species plant or animal or microorganism in which
groups or within the environment. the genetic material ( DNA) has been
altered in a way that does not occur
Underlying Causes of the Loss of naturally by mating or natural
Philippine recombination. The development of GMOs
Biodiversity The underlying causes of was perceived to help in the advancement
Philippine biodiversity loss are: of technology for the benefit of humans in
a. Population growth and increasing different industries like agriculture and
resource consumption medicine
b. Ignorance about species and
ecosystems Example of Genetically Modified Foods
c. Poorly conceived policies and poor (GMFs)
law enforcement
d. Effects of global trading systems Bt corn is a variant that has been
e. Inequity of resource distribution genetically altered to express more proteins
from Bacillus thuringiensis which produces
a bacterial toxin including Delta-toxins. evaluated to accurately determine the
Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) is a bacterium relationship between GM foods and human
found in soil that are toxic to some insects health. For instance, damage from weed
when eaten, but not others. The era of Bt infestation destroys crops worldwide.
had its beginning in 1901, a Japanese Cultivating GM crops has provided
scientist named Shigeta Ishiwata isolated a significant benefits to farmers globally to
bacterium from dead silkworm larvae while combat this problem. Several of the main
he was investigating the cause of the reasons for generating transgenic crops
socalled " sotto disease . The disease was include increased nutritional value of crops
responsible for the loss of large numbers of like maize with improved protein and golden
silkworm in Japan. A few years thereafter, in rice fortified with Vitamin A and Iron.
1911, A German scientist Ernst Berliner Importantly, GMOs also improved the
isolated a related strain from dead growth characteristics and yield of
Mediterranean flour moth larvae in the agriculturally valuable crops which often
German state Thuringia. He named the enhanced color and taste, enhanced
organism Bacillus thuringiensis. The production or reduction of enzymes, and
bacterium has been used as an insecticide prolonged shelf life. With the use of GMO
since 1938. Susceptible insects must ingest crops, there will be less use for herbicides/
Bt toxin in order to be affected. In contrast pesticides, and lower cost for cultivation and
to poisonous insecticides that target the labor. Additionally, it provides crop
nervous system. Bt acts by producing a resistance against insect and viral pests,
protein that blocks the digestive system of drought and herbicides. This could help
the insect, effectively starving it. Bt is a farmers to reduce the use of fertilizer and
fast-acting insecticide: an infected insect will pesticides, controlling the purity of the
stop feeding within hours of ingestion and hybrid seeds that ensures higher yields and
will die, generally from starvation or a increase potential growth and harvest.
rupture of the digestive system, within days. Despite the promising claims of GMOs,
The toxin is produced by the Cry gene there have been many controversies and
found on plasmids in the bacterium. The issues whether genetically modified food is
gene is added to the genomes of crop less healthy than non-genetically modified
plants using a bacterium that forms root food. Are GM crops Is it safe to eat? Does it
nodules in plants (Agrobacterium pose a threat to other organisms? A major
tumificiens). One interesting feature of cry concern in the use and consumption of
genes is their high degree of plasticity. This GMOs include promote the development of
particular characteristic may contribute to pesticide resistant pests. Introduction of the
the versatility of cry toxins as it relates to GMOs in the natural environment may
their insect host range. In addition, Bt crops cause disruption of the natural communities
produced from 1996 onwards are maize, through competition interference. There is a
potato, cotton and soybean. potential risk of the modified gene to be
transferred from the GMO crop to its wild
Genetically Modified Organisms are part relative or organism in the soil. Emergence
of a growing industry that is clouded by of new forms resistance and secondary
controversy, fear and suspicion. With so pests and weed problems might ensue. GM
much uncertainty, this technology must be crops express concerns about allergenicity.
Consumption of GMOs may have adverse In situ Conservation
effects since it is not naturally or organically It is the process of protecting species in
produced. It may alter the balance of its natural habitat, either by establishment
existing microorganisms in the body and and management of protected areas where
production of toxins may be detrimental to the species abound, or by defending the
human health. Furthermore, GM crop can species from predators.
be both expensive and time consuming
since it is performed in the laboratory.
Although the debate about GM food is
active. Scientists and researchers continue
to pave the way for GMO- a path that leads
to an unimaginable array of benefits, but
also raises extremely important questions.

GMO
BENEFITS RISKS

Improving the Promote the

growth development of
characteristics and pesticide resistant
yield of agriculturally pests (Dale,
valuable crops. Clarke&Fonters, 2002)
(Klag, 2012)

Increasing the GM crops express

nutritional value of concerns about
crops (Klug, 2012) allergically
(Lehrer&Bannon,
2005)

Providing crop GM crop can be both

resistance against expensive and time
insect and viral consuming
pests, drought, and (Ramaswamlet et al.,
herbicides (Klug, 2012)
2012)

Ex situ Conservation
It is the process of protecting species
outside of its natural habitat by removing a
species from its threatened habitat and
placing it in a new location, like zoological
gardens, aquaria, captive breeding centers,
botanical gardens, seed banks and gene
banks, within the care of humans.
\
CHAPTER 3: NANO TECHNOLOGY created by Korean Researchers from the
Korea Advanced Institute of Science and
History of Nanotechnology Technology and the National Nano Fab
1959 – Richard Feyman, an American Center.
Physicist discussed “There’s Plenty of
Room at the Bottom”. Early uses of Nanomaterials
In Mesopotamia, nanoparticles were used
1960 – Mohamed Atalla and Dawon Kahng for creating a glittering effect on the surface
fabricated the first MOSFET ( metal –oxide- of pots.
semiconductor field-effect transistor) with a
gate oxide thickness of 100nm, along with a In modern times, pottery from the middle
gate length of 20μm. Ages and Renaissance often retains a
distinct gold- or copper-colored metallic
1974 – Norio Taniguchi, a Japanese glitter.
scientist of Tokyo University of Science
coined the term "nanotechnology” to In Rome, Lycurgus cup is made of a glass
describe semiconductor processes such as that changes colour when light gleamed
film deposition and ion beam milling through it.
exhibiting characteristic control on the order
of a nanometer. In pre-columbian Mayan City of Chichen
Itza, a corrosion resistant azure pigment
1981s – The invention of Scanning known as “ Maya Blue” contains nanopores
Tunneling Microscope, an instrument used to create an environmentally stable pigment.
for imaging surfaces at the atomic level. It
was invented by Gerd Binnig and Heinrich In Middle East, Damascus steel swords
Rohrer at IBM Zurich (Nobel Prize in contain oriented nanoscale wire-and-tube-
Physics). like structures

1985 – The discovery of fullerenes, an What is Nanotechnology?

allotrope of carbon whose molecule consists ❖ The engineering of functional
of carbon atoms connected by single and systems at the molecular scale.
double bonds so as to form a closed or ❖ It is a Hybrid Science combining
partially closed mesh, with fused rings of Engineering, Chemistry and to a
five to seven atoms. certain extent Biology.
❖ It deals with the creation of
1986 – Publication of the book Engines of functional materials, devices,
Creation: The Coming Era of systems through control of matter or
Nanotechnology by Eric Dexler. nanoscale.
❖ It placed the footprints in the field of
1991 – The discovery of carbon nanotubes energy, medicine, electronics,
by Sumio Lijima computing, security and materials.
➢ Nanoscience is the study of
2006 – The discovery of 3nm MOSFET, the phenomena and
worlds’smallest nanoelectronic device was manipulation of materials at
 atomic, molecular and ❖ Nanoremediation
macromolecular scales, ➢ SAMMS technology to
where properties differ remove mercury
significantly from those at a ❖ Paper
larger scale. ➢ photographic paper
➢ Nanotechnologies are the ❖ Filters
design, characterization, ➢ nanofibres
production and application of ❖ Toothpaste to remineralise teeth
structures, devices and ❖ Food
systems by controlling shape ❖ Packaging
and size at nanometre scale. ❖ Paint
❖ Improved adhesion and
Fundamental Concepts in Nanoscience anti-fungal qualities/anti-graffiti
and Nanotechnology ❖ Clothes
It’s hard to imagine just how small ❖ Non-staining and anti-radiation
nanotechnology is. One nanometer is a ❖ Batteries
billionth of a meter, or 10-9 of a meter. Here ❖ (Black & Decker) phosphate
are a few illustrative examples: nanocrystal technology
● There are 25,400,000 nanometers in ❖ Cleaning products
an inch
● A sheet of newspaper is about Advanatges of Nanotechnology
100,000 nanometers thick ● Protect drugs from being degraded
● On a comparative scale, if a marble in the body before they reach their
were a nanometer, then one meter target
would be the size of the Earth. ● Enhances the absorption of drugs
into tumors and into the cancerous
Different Approaches to Nanotechnology cells themselves.
Nanotechnology can be: ● Allows for better control over the
❖ Top-down timing and distribution of drugs to
➢ Etching a block of material the tissue, making it easier for
down to the desired shape oncologists to assess how well they
➢ Chips and processors work.
❖ Bottom-up ● Prevent drugs from interacting with
➢ Building materials atom by normal cells , thus avoiding side
atom - like lego effects.
➢ Nanoparticles such as C60, Disadvantages
carbon nanotubes, quantum ● Adverse health effects in humans
dots from deliberate or accidental
exposure
Applications of Nanotechnology ● Adverse effects on the environment
❖ Catalysts from deliberate or accidental
➢ Envirox™ cerium oxide exposure
● Potentially explosive properties of
nanostructures
 ● Very difficult to detect without
sophisticated equipment
● Difficult to predict how particles will
behave in the environment
(dispersed/clumped)
● Small size may result in particles
passing into the body more easily
(inhalation, ingestion, absorption)
● May be more reactive due to surface
area to volume ratio
● Potential to adsorb toxic chemicals
● Persistence - Longevity of particles
in the environment and body are
unknown

Terminologies:
Nano refers to a unit meaning one billionth
or ten raised to negative nine.
Nanotechnology refers to the manipulation
of matter on an atomic or subatomic scale.
CHAPTER 4: