UDBB1224/UDBM2243 PRINCIPLES OF BIOTECHNOLOGY

Session 201401

Assignment 1

Answer the following questions

Q1. With proper examples, describe how you have benefited from the biotechnology

applications.

Q2. Biotechnology is a controversial science that presents many ethical dilemmas.

Discuss some of the controversial issues raised due to the advancement of biotechnology.

Answer Q1

Healthcare biotechnology is already benefiting more than millions patients around the

world through the utilize of biotech medicine to treat and prevent every day and chronic

illnesses including stroke, heart attacks, cystic fibrosis, diabetes, hepatitis, breast cancer and

other rare or infectious diseases. Healthcare biotech enables the improvement of therapies for

rare diseases that are often debilitating and life threatening. Healthcare biotech increase the

efficiency and safety of treatments as well as reducing the use of unsuccessful treatments and

adverse reactions through its advance on Personalized Medicine that works to diagnose what

one patient’s problems are specifically and then work to improved adapt the healthcare

solutions to suit their particular needs.

Industrial biotechnology applies the techniques of modern molecular biology to advance

the effectiveness and decrease the environmental impacts such as uses of enzymes and micro-

organisms to create products which develop the effectiveness of detergents so that clothes can be

wash at lower temperatures and the manufacture of paper and food, pulp, chemicals, bioenergy,

clothing is complete in a more environmentally efficient way use less water, less energy and

produce less waste. Industrial biotech transforms agricultural products and organic waste into

other substance with the intend of substituting the require for crude oil as an early material

to help fight against global warming. Also capable of save energy in manufacture processes and

lead to major reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. While, offers an alternative and safer form

of global energy instead of volatile and diminishing fossil fuels.

Agricultural biotechnology offers built-in protection against insect harm, ensuing in

a decrease in pesticide spraying. Helps reduce C02 emissions and fuel use by require fewer

tillage and helps farmers produce more food, constantly, in harsher climatic environment.

Produces food containing fewer toxins such as mycotoxins, a poisonous fungus that infects

plants damage by pests. Agricultural biotech protects soil from compaction and erosion by

enabling farmers to decrease the need to plough their fields to control weeds or pests since the

agbiotech plants defend themselves against both. By disturbing fewer soils, this also increases

the effectiveness of water usage by keeping the water in the soil. By improved, offering new

and modified agricultural crops such as saline or drought resistant plants, agricultural biotech

can reduce poverty and help increase food security for an increasing global inhabitants. 

Answer Q2

A controversial issue raised due to the advancement of biotechnology is Euthanasia is

the on purpose and painless taking of the life of another individual, by act or faux pas, for

compassionate intentions. The word euthanasia generally refers to the taking of human life on

appeal of that individual – the euthanasia is voluntary. On the other hand, euthanasia may also

take place without the appeal of individual who subsequently – euthanasia is non-voluntary.

Involuntary euthanasia talk about to the taking of an individual’s life contrary to that individual’s

expressed desire/direction.

Euthanasia only take place if death was wished-for. For example, if a doctor arrange for a

dying patient additional morphine with the purpose of get rid of pain but knowing that his actions

may make haste death, he has not accomplished euthanasia unless his purpose was to grounds

death (Principle of Double Effect). Euthanasia may be well-known from a run through called

physician-assisted suicide, which take place when death is carried about by the individuals own

hand. All performs of euthanasia and physician-assisted suicides are illegal in Australia.

Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are lots of genetically modified organisms are

planned to be food for human consumption. Countless production of food particularly for rising

countries would agree these countries to create sufficient food for their population. Not just the

quantities of the food but also better quality foods are produced. Fewer chemicals on crops are

developed for the environment. Vaccines can be manufactured in plants for better human health

results. Produce may influence the consumer in better state with a smaller amount of spoilage.

The transgene in the foodstuffs may cause allergic reactions in general public.

Genetically identical animals and plants leads to a harm of biodiversity. There has not been

sufficient research on the outcome of injecting a gene from one species to an additional. The new

species may escape into the wild inhabitants and super weeds could be made by the cross-

fertilization of wild species and transgenic species. Even one gene might cause major changes in

an organism. Business has regulator of the products being produced and their purpose is profit,

which may not be in the greatest interest of poor farmers.

REFERENCES

1) Walker.J and Rapley.R , [2002] .Molecular Biology and Bio technology. Fourth Edition.

Royal Society of Chemistry 5- Lodge.J , Lund.P & Minchin.S, [2007] .

2) Pharmaceutical Biotechnology Drug Discovery and Clinical Applications

Pharmaceutical. Wiley-VCH VerlagGmbH & Co. KGaA

3) Adelaide Centre for Bioethics and Culture [2012], [Online]. Available at

[http://www.bioethics.org.au/About%20Us.html ]. Accessed on : [2013].

4) Genetically modified food controversies [Online] Available at:

[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetically_modified_food_controversies ]. Accessed on:

[22 January 2014].