| I am sure that in this day and age you have | | | | is a fancy way of testing the different strands of |
| heard the term biotechnology many times in your | | | | DNA in peoples cells. Different strands travel |
| life. It is a relatively new concept that is rapidly | | | | different lengths and so when you run it through |
| evolving into a science. Defining biotechnology | | | | a gel with electricity you can compare the DNA |
| itself is a difficult task however it involves living | | | | to see if it matches. It is actually an amazing |
| creatures and their functions. Biotechnology is the | | | | process and it can help you determine the father |
| art of manipulating living organisms to gain | | | | of children and also the criminal in many cases. |
| knowledge, invent medicines and create new | | | | We can also learn a lot of things from this type |
| species and hybrids. Medical biotechnology is a | | | | of testing and it will help us understand how we |
| constantly growing field and we are always finding | | | | work. |
| new uses and disease to cure with biotech. As it | | | | Gene therapy is another amazing aspect of |
| seems, biotech is a very controversial field of | | | | medical biotechnology. Gene therapy is very |
| science and it is heavily debated all throughout the | | | | complicated but when simplified it is |
| world. | | | | understandable that it is so amazing. Through |
| The most famous use for this new field is | | | | medical biotechnology we have discovered that |
| through producing medicine. The path from plant | | | | bacteria spread virus via injecting their genes into |
| to pill is amazing and there are so many things | | | | other animals cells. Scientists are now trying to |
| that go into this production. The first thing is to | | | | manipulate the DNA of bacteria so that they have |
| identify that a plant actually has a healing quality. | | | | the cure to different diseases. This way we can |
| Most of these have been circulating with us for | | | | inject bacteria into peoples system it does not |
| generations but recently scientists have been | | | | harm them but actually help them. Although we |
| experimenting on different plants. When the plant | | | | are still far away we are making amazing |
| is identified, you have to crush it and test | | | | progress and being able to reach this goal will |
| different bacteria against it. If it is successful in | | | | change science forever. |
| killing the bacteria then you know you need to | | | | The most known and debated form of medical |
| isolate the compound. This process takes a long | | | | biotechnology is cloning. Now, we can actually take |
| time since biotech companies have to try these | | | | DNA from animals and grow it into another |
| products and make sure they are completely | | | | duplicate organism. Cloning would mean that you |
| safe. | | | | could have an exact replica of something, down |
| The next use for medical biotechnology is genetic | | | | to every atom in the body. It really is amazing |
| testing. Though it seems relatively useless, genetic | | | | but also scary. This is why it is so debated. Are |
| testing is an extremely useful scientific process. | | | | we really supposed to go this far into science? |
| Genetic testing involves gel electrophoresis which | | | | |