What Is Biotechnology And Its Applications

Biotechnology is a revolutionizing field that applies biological principles to contribute to the development of technologies and products that help better human life and the health of our planet. It involves techniques and processes in medicine, agriculture and environmental science. This chapter of Biology is important for Class 12 students and those who are preparing to pass entrance exams like NEET, AIIMS, nursing, and paramedical streams. This article covers all the aspects of biotechnology, starting from the principles and applications to questions that are usually asked in exams. It is a very important resource for such aspiring students.

What is Biotechnology?

In short words, it is defined as the field that brings together the principles of biological science and technology in altering living organisms and biological systems for certain applications. That means some of the examples of its application are genetic modification, fermentation, and tissue culture. Biotechnology plays an important role in the production of novel medicines, agricultural productivity improvement, and finding a sustainable solution to environmental challenges.

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Definition of Biotechnology

Biotechnology can be defined as the use of living organisms, cells and biological systems to develop products and processes. Techniques are used which manipulate genetic material, including recombinant DNA technology and gene cloning, thus permitting the creation of desired traits in organisms.

Biotechnology Principles and Processes Class 12

The principles of biotechnology are based on two major techniques:

Genetic engineering: It refers to the reconstruction of the genetic material of organisms to generate desired traits. Some of the prime techniques applied in genetic engineering include cloning genes, recombinant DNA technology, and PCR.

Bioprocess Engineering: Bioprocess engineering is the application of biological materials in producing processes on industrial scales. Bioprocess engineering thus applies to the large-scale production of substances like vaccines, enzymes, and biofuels.

These should be of interest to the Class 12 students learning because this topic begins gaining more importance in competitive exams like NEET.

Applications of Biotechnology

Biotechnology has numerous applications. Some applications are given below:

• Medical Biotechnology: Development of vaccines, antibiotics, gene therapy for genetic disorders and diseases such as cancer.
• Agricultural Biotechnology: Genetic modification of crops to achieve higher yield, pesticide resistance, and nutritional value.
• Biotechnology: Use of microbes for cleaning up pollutants, known as bioremediation and designing ecologically sound waste management systems.
• Industrial Biotechnology: This includes the production of enzymes, biofuel and biodegradable plastics through microbial fermentation

Father of Biotechnology

The title "Father of Biotechnology" has generally been bestowed on Karl Ereky, who was credited with the term "biotechnology" coined as early as 1919 for industrial applications of biological processes. Such work could obviously sow the seeds of modern biotechnology, affecting as broad areas as medicine, agriculture, and environmental science.

Popular Views on Biotechnology and Its Applications

Biotechnology raises a plethora of ethical questions, particularly in its applications to genetically modified crops.

• Bt cotton is one of the most ubiquitous, although subject to remarkably few controls, given that it is indeed a commercial crop.
• Bt brinjal, on the other hand, is subject to far more controls. The two examples paint the spectrum of control applied to GM crops.
• In India, the research and marketing clearance of a GM product falls within the purview of the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee, or GEAC.
• GEAC recently denied commercial clearance to a GM mustard variety called DMH-11, which has been developed to avoid inbreeding depression.
• Various NGOs and civil society groups are concerned about the safety of GM organisms and their implications.
• Although such apprehensions carry some merit, restrictions at another level may become dysfunctional in the progress of biotechnology itself.
• This is an issue that requires action by collaboration between scientists, students, policymakers, and society.
• To connect ethical concerns with biotechnology benefits, there may be an urgent need for an open forum for discussion.
• Acceptance and acknowledgement of the potential of biotechnology is essential to propel further human welfare in agriculture, medicine, and environmental sustainability.

Biotechnology Examples

Alcoholic beverages like beer and wine, biodiesel, detergents, sugar, biodegradable plastic, and textiles are a few of the more popular ones. Biotechnology is used to make all of your processed foods, medications, cosmetics, and personal care products.

Biotechnology and Its Applications NEET Questions

Among the numerous features of NEETs, biotechnology has an important share if asked in their exams. Questions are based on genetic engineering and bioprocessing with their applications. Common types of questions:

• MCQs: Mainly contains key concepts such as recombinant DNA technology and its applications and applications of genetically modified organisms and the principles of gene therapy.
• Assertion and Reason Questions: Examples could include such as ethical issues with genetic modification or biotechnology future of agriculture in the world.
• Case-based Questions: The question scenarios could be on issues of biotechnological solutions dealing with diseases or environmental issues.

Tips on Biotechnology and Its Applications

• Focus on understanding the concepts rather than mugging them up.

• Correlate the applications with the current scenario.

• Solve previous years’ questions to gather an insight into the pattern of questions.

• Read NCERT textbook for class 12 for building basics.

Books to Refer for Biotechnology and Its Applications

• The NCERT textbook for class 12

• A Textbook of CBSE Biology for Class 12 by Sarita Aggarwal

• Trueman’s Elementary Biology Volume 2

Also, check for | NCERT 2023 – NCERT Solutions, Books, Syllabus, NCERT Exemplar Problems with Solutions

Tips, Tricks, and Strategies to Prepare for Biotechnology and its Applications

Here are some tips and tricks to prepare for biotechnology and its Applications:

Mnemonics

Remember the four major strands of biotechnology by using the "GEBI" acronym as a mnemonic device-Genetic Engineering, Biotechnology or Environmental, Bioprocess Engineering and Industrial Biotechnology

Study Aids

Prepare flowcharts and diagrams regarding the process of genetic engineering and recombinant DNA technology

Prepare a comparison table of applications of biotechnology in medicine, agriculture and the environment.

Multimedia

Watch animations that illustrate the various processes of genetic engineering such as PCR and cloning of genes for better comprehension

Flashcards

Use flashcards to memorize: enzymes involved in genetic engineering and examples of genetically modified organisms.

Types of Questions Asked on Biotechnology in Exams

Given below is the indication of the types of questions asked about biotechnology and its applications in different exams:

Weightage of Biotechnology Questions in Exams

The table given below shows the weightage of the questions asked about biotechnology and its applications in different exams:

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