AP Notes, Outlines, Study Guides, Vocabulary, Practice Exams and more!

Biotechnology and its applications - chapter 12 Flashcards

Terms : Hide Images
14723812919BiotechnologyThe use of biology to develop technologies and products for the welfare of human beings is known as biotechnology. It has various applications in different fields such as therapeutics, diagnostics, processed food, waste management, energy production, genetically modified crops etc.0
14723819566Biotechnological application in agricultureBiotechnology has different application in agriculture. It can be used in agro-chemicals, organic agriculture, and genetically engineered crop-based agriculture. It can be used to produce genetically modified organisms. Genetically modified organisms (GMO) can be obtained by alteration in their genetic material. Different application of genetically modified organisms is- • Production of crops which are resistant to abiotic factors such as heat, cold, etc. • Pest-resistant crops. • Help to reduce post-harvest losses. • Minerals can be used efficiently by the plants. • Food with enhanced nutritional values. The most important application in the field of biotechnology is the formation of pest resistant plants. Bacillus thuringiensis is a bacterium that produces a Bt toxin which has insecticidal activity. Gene that codes for Bt toxin can be isolated and inserted into the plant to provide insect or pest resistance.1
14723828693Bt cottonBacillus thuringiensis produces certain proteins that can kill insects such as lepidopterans, coleopterans, and dipterans. They produce insecticidal protein, which when enter the body of the insect will become active. This toxin when binds to the midgut produces causes cell to swell and eventually death of the insect. These Bt genes are isolated and inserted into cotton plants. Such cotton is known as Bt cotton. The gene that codes for insecticidal protein is known as cryIAc and cryIIAc.2
14723895847Pest resistant plantsVarious pests affect the plants which causes loss as well as decrease in the yield of the plant. A nematode Meloidegyne incognitia infects the roots of tobacco plants and causes a decrease in the yield of the plant. To prevent this, RNA interference technology was used. This method involves silencing of a specific mRNA due to a complementary dsRNA molecule. This inhibits the translation of the mRNA.3
14723902405Biotechnology applications in medicine; Human insulin productionBiotechnology has contributed a lot in medicine industry. The use of biotechnology in medicine is known as medicinal biotechnology. They provide methods for the formation of genetically modified insulin known as humulin. This helps in treatment of large number of diabetes patients. Earlier insulin was extracted from the pancreas of the slaughtered animals such as cattle and pigs. Such insulin has chances to cause allergies to humans. The most important issue with the production of insulin is formation of mature and assembled insulin.4
14723918240Biotechnology applications in medicine; Gene therapyTo correct the heredity diseases, gene therapy is used. The correction of gene defects is known as gene therapy. A normal gene is inserted into the individual or in an embryo to replace the abnormal gene. The first gene therapy was given to a 4-year-old girl in 1990 for Adenosine deaminase deficiency. Earlier, bone marrow transplantation and enzyme replacement therapy were used to treat adenosine deaminase deficiency. But both strategies are not completely curative.5
14723934663Biotechnology applications in medicine; Molecular diagnosisIt helps in disease diagnosis by various techniques such as ELISA, PCR, and recombinant DNA technology. ELISA (enzyme linked immunosorbent assay) is based on antigen and antibody reaction to detect different diseases. PCR (polymerase chain reaction) is technique to amplify specific DNA segment. This helps to detect HIV in AIDS patients.6
14724074010Biotechnology applications in medicine; Transgenic animalsAnimals that have their DNA manipulated to possess and express an extra (foreign) gene are known as transgenic animals. For example, rats, rabbits, pigs, sheep etc. These animals help to understand how genes are regulated and how they help in development of animals. It helps to study how genes are responsible for the development of various diseases. They can be used to manufacture chemicals that are useful. They can also be used for testing of drugs and vaccines.7
14724083947Biotechnology in production of antibioticsPlants are used to develop antibiotics for humans as well as for animal use. It helps in production of antibiotics, vaccines and artificial hormones for hormone therapies. Ethical Issues: 1. The manipulation of living organisms by man is similar to man "playing God". It is a tool with great power and therefore, immense responsibility. 2. The genetic modification of any organism is not always completely predictable. It may lead to problems in the organism. 3. The impact of introduction of a GMO into an ecosystem is not completely known. It could have unpredictable results.8
14724093055GEACGenetic Engineering Approval Committee is a committee set up by the Indian Government to oversee all decisions regarding GM research and the safety of GMOs for public use.9
14724097325BiopiracyUse of bio-resources by commercial and multinational companies and other organizations without the appropriate authorization and permission from the countries and people concerned without making the compensatory payment.10

Need Help?

We hope your visit has been a productive one. If you're having any problems, or would like to give some feedback, we'd love to hear from you.

For general help, questions, and suggestions, try our dedicated support forums.

If you need to contact the Course-Notes.Org web experience team, please use our contact form.

Need Notes?

While we strive to provide the most comprehensive notes for as many high school textbooks as possible, there are certainly going to be some that we miss. Drop us a note and let us know which textbooks you need. Be sure to include which edition of the textbook you are using! If we see enough demand, we'll do whatever we can to get those notes up on the site for you!