Application of Biotechnology in Health and Agriculture

Biotechnology is one of the branches of applied biological science. Biochemical and Biomedical engineering is described by the term biotechnology. For the improvement of life on earth by biotechnology ‘living organisms and biological processes are used. Applications of biotechnology are used for reducing rates of many humans and plants diseases that are infectious. From biotechnology, many precise tools and techniques are created for the detection many of diseases 

By the many applications of biotechnology higher crop yields are generated with very fewer inputs. Nutrition is enhanced by the application of biotechnology for the development of crops. It also helps in producing toxin-free foods.

 According to ‘Karl Erley-“ Biotechnology is the application of biological science & it is the principle of engineering to make products from raw materials of biological origins, such as food or vaccines. Biotechnology is the application of scientific & engineering principles of processing of materials by biological agents to produce goods and services.

Application of biotechnology in Health and Agriculture

Biotechnology has found a wide range of applications in health that as in the medical industry and pharmaceutical industries.

Biotechnology in medicine-Methods of application of biotechnology is used for increasing the production of Antibiotics, Hormones (such as Interferons & Insulin), Enzymes, Vitamins, Toxoids, etc.

It is also used for the diagnosis of genetic diseases. This is why biotechnology has applications directly or indirectly in human beings’ (Animals) health care.

“Gene cloning” is possible by using biotechnology. Gene cloning means duplication of genes, so gene cloning is the ‘creation of cells or organisms with a single ancestral cell’ & these cells which are created by gene cloning are genetically identical cells.

The process of gene cloning is used in animal cells, human cells, tadpoles of frogs,  plants like carrots, etc. A man can produce humans by using this process which can be dissimilar from human beings or human races in the world.

Humans and achieved any desirable characteristics in their progeny or offsprings not only colour of the eye, hair from gene cloning but also human can change their sex, height & can build and engineered one head or two, one large brain, or several small-small brains.

Human (human insulin) & human cardiac peptide (known as ‘gamma human atrial natriuretic polypeptide (HANP)) have been manufactured by genetic engineering (biotechnology).

Application of biotechnology in Agriculture

Biotechnology in agriculture-Biotechnology has found a wide range of applications in agriculture by ‘gene manipulation and the consequent change in enzymatic activity. Selection of plant varieties, cloning, somatic hybridization , development of “in vitro culture” techniques, germ tube storage, etc. can be achieved by using methods, applications & principles of biotechnology.  From ‘genetic manipulation, better yielding varieties of crops can also be produced.

Some technologies, methods, applications & principles of biotechnology used in modern food processing as a technique are ‘canning, pasteurisation, sterilisation, & freezing.

Production of large amounts of yeasts, Biomass of algae, single-cell proteins (SCP), etc. These are also achieved by the applications of biotechnology.

In the food processing industry ‘genetic recombination technology’ is utilised for the production of microorganisms. Microorganisms have the capability or ability to convert ‘inedible biomass’ into food for human beings which is proteinaceous and is full of proteins (good food).

Recombinant DNA technology (Recombinant Biotechnology)-Recombinant biotechnology is one of the most important technologies which is the backbone of biotechnology. This technology is used for breaking molecules of DNA (hereditary material which carries the genes responsible for transferring characters of parents into offspring) and joining fragments of DNA molecules of different-different living organisms (animals and plants) in the laboratory; this process is also known as ‘genetic engineering. In ‘genetic engineering’ construction or assembly of artificially or unnaturally synthesised or isolated genes into the chromosomes are done.

From recombinant biotechnology or recombinant DNA technology, many plant diseases and human problems can be treated. So, we can say ‘genetic engineering’ refers to the techniques, technologies of subtracting, adding, and replacing segments of DNA molecules which is the hereditary material.

Biotechnology biofertilizers are made which are also commonly known as ‘biologically active products’ or ‘microbial inoculants’. Biofertilizers contain living cells of microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi, algae alone or in combination. The strains of these microorganisms are capable of fixing ‘atmospheric nitrogen’ and also solubilising ‘phosphate’ in the soil & making them available to plants. Thus like this  several applications and methods of biotechnology contribute to a significant increase in crop productivity and agriculture

Conclusion

The main goal of applications of biotechnology is the improvement of life on earth, living organisms( plants, animals, humans). By the various techniques and applications of biotechnology, rates of many diseases of plants and humans (infectious diseases) can be reduced or controlled. Higher crop yields can also be generated by using various applications of biotechnology with very few inputs. Modern food processing as a technical application of biotechnology is pasteurisation, sterilisation, freezing, etc.

Many diseases (genetic diseases) are also treated by the applications of biotechnology (by Recombinant DNA technology)