Biotechnology Research Paper

1. WHAT IS BIOTECHNOLOGY?

1.1. Definition of biotechnology.

“Biotechnology is a frontier technology which has the potential to provide very substantial benefits to society in a wide range of sectors such as agriculture, medicine and health, foresty, animal husbandry, environment protection, and improving the quality of products and services.” (Visalakshi, 2008)

Biotechnology is essentially the use of biological processes, systems or living micro-organisms to make new products or to modify existing ones, these are intended in improving the quality of human life. Biotechnology refers mainly to more traditional and familiar methods, such as fermentation for the production of wine and cheese, mating or even cross breeding, which has been used

Advantages and disadvantages of genetic engineering techniques like the examples used above.

ADVANTAGES OF GENETIC ENGINEERING TECHNIQUES:

• Production is increased- Because the desirable qualities of the good is present, and also there are genes present that are both disease and pest resistance, the crop productivity is therefore increased. This is due to researchers being able to select the genes that are disease and pest resistant from other species and adding it into vital crops, ( just like the example above, “weed killer resistance”)

• Enhance nutritional composition of foods- just like the example used above “Golden rice” which is like a progenitor of vitamin A, there are also many other products which are genetically modifies for the same motive. These genetically modified organisms are produced to improve improved nutritional value of some products (food).

• Food with even more health benefits- This advantage is similar to the one above. There are new foods which are genetically modified so that they benefit one’s health, with greater amount of minerals, vitamins and antioxidants. For example GM apples and

I have come to this conclusion because of what I have learnt at school having to do with genetic engineering being a modern type of biotechnology and also due to the research that I have done, which involves the similarities of both its features and of its intentions.

As seen by the research done, the features of biotechnology and genetic engineering are similar in the following way:

• They both intended to rapidly develop new treatment methods, modified food and medicines.

• They both aim to produce or develop products which are highly demanded/desired by the society. By doing this, both Biotechnological techniques and Genetic Engineering techniques can improve on the quality of living and of health of both humans and animals.

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Therefore I conclude that genetic engineering is just a newer way of biotechnology, using newer methods and that both biotechnology and genetic engineering aim for the same goal, which is improving an organism’s trait, health and quality of life.

Genetic engineering is basically biotechnology, but referred to the modern or “newer” type of