Biotechnology: The Disadvantages And Disadvantages Of Biotechnology?

What is biotechnology?

Biotechnology is the manipulation of living organisms, by applying principles of science and engineering, through biological and technological process to develop a product, usually for industrial purposes (What is biotechnology?, 2015) (Module 1: Basic Biotechnology, 2015)

Examples of Biotechnology:

• The production of cheese:

The production of cheese is an example of biotechnology whereby lactic acid bacteria, such as Lactobacillus, is added to pasteurised milk and fermentation occurs. The process of fermentation converts lactose into lactic acid. The result of this process is a decline in the acidity of the milk and this causes the milk protein to form clots. The formation of clots is further enhanced by the addition

It is also a relatively lasting source of calcium that has largely been accepted and is used in several delicacies.

Disadvantages:

Microbial contamination can cause several sicknesses in people and have dire measures of causing death due to the use of bacterial microorganisms in the production of cheese (What are the disadvantages of microorganisms in food production?, 2015)

• The production of amasi:

The production of a traditional South African beverage called Amasi is a form of biotechnology. It is a non-alcoholic beverage produced by fermented milk. This milk tastes like plain yogurt and is a thick in texture. Unpasteurised milk is placed in a skin pouch during the procedure. The bacteria on the surface of the milk undergoes anaerobic respiration (lactic acid fermentation), whereby the lactose is converted into lactic acid. The resulting fermented milk forms a watery by-product and a thick fluid which is the amasi (Liesel Sterrenberg).

Advantages:

Amasi is also another source of calcium that is a form of indigenous biotechnology. This beverage is imported internationally and forms a part of South Africa’s income source in terms of import income.

Through genetic engineering, cows are modified to produce more milk through Recombinant DNA technology. Bovine somatotropin (bST.) is a protein hormone produced in cattle secreted by the pituitary gland. This hormone, when injected into a milk-producing cow regularly, can increase milk production. Using recombinant DNA technology, the bST gene is isolated and inserted into the plasmid of E.coli (a bacterium). The bacterium produces large amounts of the bST hormone under suitable lab conditions. The bST is then purified and injected into the cattle as show in Figure 1 below. The genetic material of the cow has been modified to enable it to produce more milk (Biovine somatotropin (bST) ,