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Chapter 3 Ls

The document discusses biotechnology, its evolution, and its applications in health, industry, agriculture, and the environment. It categorizes biotechnology into various subdisciplines, highlighting their uses and advantages, such as improved healthcare and sustainable practices, while also addressing disadvantages like ethical concerns and biodiversity loss. Overall, biotechnology plays a crucial role in addressing modern challenges but comes with potential risks that need to be managed.

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11 views3 pages

Chapter 3 Ls

The document discusses biotechnology, its evolution, and its applications in health, industry, agriculture, and the environment. It categorizes biotechnology into various subdisciplines, highlighting their uses and advantages, such as improved healthcare and sustainable practices, while also addressing disadvantages like ethical concerns and biodiversity loss. Overall, biotechnology plays a crucial role in addressing modern challenges but comes with potential risks that need to be managed.

Uploaded by

abd.el.malek.y0t
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Cours de Sciences de la Vie & Impacts Socio-économiques (L1Sciences Biologiques)

Chapter III: Biotechnology and health


1. What is biotechnology?
Biotechnology is the use of biology to develop new products, methods and organisms intended to
improve human health and society. Biotechnology, often referred to as biotech, has existed since the
beginning of civilization with the domestication of plants, animals and the discovery of fermentation.
Early applications of biotech led to the development of products such as bread and vaccines. However,
the discipline has evolved significantly over the last century in ways that manipulate the genetic structures
and biomolecular processes of living organisms. The modern practice of biotechnology draws from various
disciplines of science and technology, including the following:
 molecular biology
 chemistry
 bionics
 genetic engineering
 genomics
 nanotechnology
 informatics
This approach has resulted in innovations and breakthroughs in the following areas:
 medicines and therapeutics that prevent and treat disease;
 medical diagnostics such as pregnancy tests;
 biofuels that are sustainable, reducing waste and pollution;
 genetically modified organisms (GMOs) that lead to more efficient and cost-effective
agriculture.

2. Types of biotechnology
The science of biotechnology is broken down into subdisciplines that are color-coded based on
common uses and applications.
 Red biotechnology involves medical processes, such as using organisms to produce new drugs
and stem cells to regenerate damaged human tissues and grow and regrow entire organs.
 White or Gray refers to industrial processes, such as the development of new chemicals or new
biofuels for vehicles.
 Green covers agricultural processes, such as producing pest-resistant crops, disease-resistant
animals and environmentally friendly agricultural practices.
 Gold, also known as bioinformatics, is a cross between biological processes and informatics. It
refers to the methods healthcare workers use to gather, store and analyze biological data to treat
patients.
 Blue encompasses processes in marine and aquatic environments, such as converting aquatic
biomass into fuels and pharmaceuticals.
 Yellow refers to processes that aid food production, the most popular application being the
fermentation of alcohol and cheese.
 Violet ensures the practice of biotechnology is in compliance with laws and ethical standards
governing each field.
 Dark is the use of biotechnology for weapons or warfare.

Pr. RACHED-KANOUNI M. SNV Larbi Ben M’Hidi Université Oum El Bouaghi Page 1
Cours de Sciences de la Vie & Impacts Socio-économiques (L1Sciences Biologiques)

There are eight, color-coded categories of biotechnology.

3. Uses and applications of biotechnology


The use and commercialization of modern biotechnology often fall into four main fields: environment,
medicine, industry and agriculture.
3.1. Medicine
Medical biotechnology, also known as biopharma, aims to fight and prevent disease and improve
healthcare. Biotechnology and biomedical research are the basis of the modern pharmaceutical industry.
Uses include the following:
 stem cell research that helps replace or repair dead or defective cells;
 antibiotics development;
 gene therapies for diseases such as Leukemia;
 research into dangerous pathogens and the antibodies that fight them;
 3D printing or growing of organs and bones in labs;
 mRNA vaccines, monoclonal antibody treatments and research for COVID-19.

3.2. Industry
Industrial biotechnology involves using microorganisms to produce industrial goods. Examples
include the following:
 fermentation and the use of enzymes and microbes to streamline chemical manufacturing and
reduce operational costs and chemical emissions;
 biofuels that use renewable crops such as corn to produce combustible fuel instead of natural,
non-renewable fossil fuel resources, such as petroleum and oil;
 biodegradable garments and textiles made from the proteins of living organisms, such as the silk
proteins of spiders.
3.3. Agriculture
Agricultural biotechnology genetically engineers’ plants and animals to produce more efficient
agriculture, increase nutritional value and reduce food insecurity. Some examples of agricultural
biotechnology are the following:
 biologically produced pesticides and herbicides that are less harmful to humans than chemical
ones;
 drought-resistant crops;

Pr. RACHED-KANOUNI M. SNV Larbi Ben M’Hidi Université Oum El Bouaghi Page 2
Cours de Sciences de la Vie & Impacts Socio-économiques (L1Sciences Biologiques)

 minimal space-resilient crops;


 meat grown in labs or using 3D printers;
 gluten-free grains friendly to sufferers of celiac;
 selective breeding that produces healthier, bigger livestock and crops;
 nutrient supplementation that infuses food with added nutrients to improve diets and medical
treatments.
3.4. Environment
The aim of environmental biotechnology is to develop sustainable environmental practices that reduce
pollution and waste. The following are examples of environmental biotech:
 Phytoremediation uses genetically engineered microorganisms to purify soils of heavy metals
and other pollutants.
 Bioremediation introduces microorganisms into waste sites in order to organically break down
nonrecyclable waste.
 Plastic-eating bacteria breaks down waste such as plastic in soils and water.
 GMO foods stay fresher longer and reduce food waste.
 Genetic restoration attempts to restore endangered species such as the American chestnut tree.
 Cover-crops such as corn are used as biofuels, replacing traditional fuel sources that
produce greenhouse gas emissions when extracted and used.
4. What are the advantages of biotechnology?
Biotechnology production offers a variety of solutions to critical problems. The main ones are:
 reducing pollution and waste to reverse catastrophic climate change and environmental damage;
 creating healthier, stronger and more-sustainable food products that boost nutrition and
combat food insecurity;
 treating diseases in children before they are born by altering their genomes;
 designing medicine to boost the health and longevity of people, animals and plants;
 cutting costs of farm supplies such as pesticides, while increasing crop yields and profits.

5. What are the disadvantages of biotechnology?


Biotechnology also comes with disadvantages and misuse. The main disadvantages include the
following:
 Biological warfare. The potential exists for the development of pathogens and epidemics that
could be used in a conflict zone to infect populations.
 Decrease in biodiversity. Monocropping or the farming of only a small number of genetically
engineered crops could shrink the natural gene pool of species and make them less resilient and
adaptable to sudden changes in environment.
 Loss of soil fertility. Bio-enhanced plants require more nutrients from soil and yield more crops.
 High costs. Biotechnology products often cost more than traditional products and have the
potential to raise pricing structures in various industries.
 Ethical considerations. Gene manipulation raises a range of ethical issues, such as the genetic
engineering of humans.
 Safety questions. Various groups have raised safety concerns about the health risks of GMOs
and biotech-related medical developments, such as mRNA vaccines.

Pr. RACHED-KANOUNI M. SNV Larbi Ben M’Hidi Université Oum El Bouaghi Page 3

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