Biotechnology is the application of living processes to technology. It has been used for centuries to improve foods through microbes like yeast and bacteria. Modern biotechnology uses genetics and selective breeding to improve plant and animal performance, and microbes to solve problems like producing insulin or breaking down waste. However, both the safety and ethics of biotechnology are ongoing concerns that governments and society continue to monitor.

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Biotechnology
Unit 3
Exploring Agriculture

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What is biotechnology?
 Bio = life
 Biotechnology is the application of living processes to
technology.

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History of Biotechnology
 Living organisms have been used for centuries to alter and
improve food quality.
 Examples include:
 Yeast to make bread rise
 Bacteria to ferment sauerkraut

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Improving Plant & Animal Performance
 Improvement by selection – picking the best plants or animals
for producing the next generation.
 Improvement by genetics – Plants and animals are bred to
develop new breeds based on dominant traits.

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Solving Problems with Microbes
 Microbes - too small to be viewed by the unaided eye. It is
typically bacteria, protozoa, and some fungi and algae.
 They are used to produce products needed by other plants,
animals, or humans.
 Example: Insulin

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Waste Management
 Environmental pollution and landfills have become a problem.
 Genetically altered bacteria are used to feed on oil slicks and
spills.
 Bacteria are capable of converting solid waste into fuel that is
used to heat buildings.
 Pollution is still one of the world’s largest problems.

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Safety in Biotechnology
 Federal and state governments monitor biotechnology
research.
 Products are tested in labs before being used.
 Consumers are hesitant.
 BST in cow’s milk.

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Ethics in Biotechnology
 Ethics – a system of moral principles that defines what is right
and wrong in a society.
 Should humans be cloned?
 Court cases often occur due relationship between new
technology and ethics.