Biotechnology is defined as “the integration of natural sciences and engineering sciences in order to achieve the application of organisms, cells, parts thereof, and molecular analogues for products and services.” It is defined as “the application of organisms, cells, parts thereof, and molecular analogues for products and services.” The term “biotechnology” was coined by Károly Ereky in 1919 to refer to the production of products from raw materials with the assistance of living organisms, and it has since become widely accepted.
People have been harnessing biological processes to improve their quality of life for approximately 10,000 years, dating back to the earliest agricultural settlements on the planet. Humans first began to take advantage of the biological processes of microorganisms approximately 6,000 years ago, in order to produce bread, alcoholic beverages, cheese, and dairy products, as well as to preserve dairy products. Biotechnology today, on the other hand, does not refer to such processes. The term “biotechnology” was first used to refer to the molecular and cellular technologies that began to emerge in the 1960s and 1970s. When Robert A. Swanson and Herbert W. Boyer founded Genentech in 1976, they were attempting to commercialise the recombinant DNA technology that had been pioneered by Boyer, Paul Berg and Stanley N. Cohen. Genentech was the first company to commercialise this technology, and it was the first company to do so in the United States in the late 1970s. Many of the first genetically engineered substances were created for medical or environmental applications by companies such as Genentech, Amgen, Biogen, Cetus, and Genex, to name a few examples.
For more than a decade, recombinant DNA technology, also known as genetic engineering, was the dominant technology in the biotechnology industry. It is possible to produce large quantities of a useful protein (often a human protein) by splicing the gene for the protein into production cells (such as yeast, bacteria, or mammalian cells in culture), which then begin to produce the protein in large quantities. An organism is created during the process of splicing a gene into the genome of a production cell. It was initially unclear whether biotechnology investors and researchers would be permitted to obtain patents on organisms by the courts; after all, patents were not permitted on newly discovered and identified organisms in nature. However, the courts eventually changed their minds. However, in the case of Diamond v. Chakrabarty, the Supreme Court of the United States of America finally resolved the issue by ruling that “a live human-made microorganism is patentable subject matter.” With this decision came the birth of a wave of new biotechnology companies, as well as the beginning of the infant industry’s first investment boom. In 1982, recombinant insulin was approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration, making it the first product created through genetic engineering to receive approval (FDA). Many genetically engineered protein medications have been commercialised around the world since then, including recombinant versions of growth hormone, clotting factors, proteins for stimulating the production of red and white blood cells, interferons, and clot-dissolving agents, to name a few examples.
For the uninitiated, biotechnology can be defined as “biological technology”: it is the application of biological processes to the development of technologies and products that improve our quality of life while also benefiting the overall health of our planet. For more than 6,000 years, we have relied on the biological processes of microorganisms to produce useful food products, such as bread and cheese, as well as to preserve dairy products in various forms.
Advantages of Biotechnology
Several advantages of biotechnology have been identified, including the reduction of environmental pollution, the saving of lives, the increase in food production, and others. Let’s take a look at some of the most significant ones.
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It is extremely beneficial to the production of nutritious food.
As a result of advances in biotechnology, the nutritional value of our foods has increased significantly. Researchers’ ability to work more quickly and precisely as a result of food biotechnology has increased, which has the potential to improve the food production process.
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Contributes to the improvement of the medical sector.
Biotechnology has made significant advances in our understanding of the genetic makeup of the human species, which has had a significant impact on medical advancements.
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It helps to reduce the global environmental footprint.
Environmental biotechnology is positioned to replace materials and chemical processes that are harmful to the environment with more environmentally friendly and sustainable biological alternatives.
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It helps to lower the incidence of infectious diseases.
According to reliable sources, more than 250 biotech health care products are available to patients suffering from incurable diseases.
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Contributes to the conservation and preservation of natural resources
Cellular and biomolecular processes are used in biotechnology to develop products and technologies that will benefit our planet. This is the primary goal of biotechnology.
Disadvantages of Biotechnology
The advantages of biotechnology can range from the reduction of environmental pollution to its involvement in medical and industrial processes, among other things. However, when biotechnology is mishandled, it can result in the emergence of a variety of problems. Now, let’s take a closer look at some of these concerns.
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Destroy Cropland
As previously stated, the soil serves as the crop’s natural nutrient source by supplying it with nutrients. Biotechnology, on the other hand, has made it possible for more nutrients to be introduced into crops alongside their natural counterparts. Although this is beneficial, it may come at a cost because, if the soil has been overloaded with nutrients from the crop, it may eventually lose its fertility as a result.
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Turns Human Life Into a Commodity
One of the most significant benefits of biotechnology is the ability to extend human life expectancy. Yes, but there is debate over whether biotechnology has turned human life into a commodity that others can control through technological means.
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There are a lot of unknowns.
One of the most significant disadvantages of biotechnology is that there are many unknowns. Despite the fact that biotechnology has advanced in recent years, there are still many long-term consequences that we do not understand.
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It has the potential to be used as a weapon.
Consider the possibility that biotechnology will be able to alter cells and cell components to our advantage. What’s to say that it can’t be manipulated in a way that is harmful? Biotechnology has the potential to lead to the development of biological weapons that terrorists could use for mass destruction.
Conclusion
Biotechnology, without a doubt, has a bright future, but is it beneficial or detrimental to the environment? Biotechnology has both advantages and disadvantages. It has proven to be effective in treating illnesses that were previously thought to be incurable, and many people have embraced it with open arms. However, it is critical to maintain checks and balances in the biotechnology industry in order to avoid reducing the value of human life in the face of technological advancement.