What is biotechnology and what is it for

The term “biotechnology” was probably used for the first time by engineer Kárloy Ereki in 1919 in his book “Biotechnology in the meat and dairy production of a great agricultural exploitation.” ButWhat exactly is biotechnology and what is it for?

Biotechnology is a multidisciplinary area of ​​which it is difficult to find a concrete and universal definition. In a generic way we could say that biotechnology is science that studies the use of various techniques to modify living organisms.

For example, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development Biotechnology can be defined as:

“Application of principles of science and engineering for treatments of organic and inorganic materials by biological systems to produce goods and services.”

On the other hand, according to the 1992 Biological Diversity Agreement, it also defines it as:

“Any technological application that uses biological systems and living organisms or its derivatives for the creation or modification of products or processes for specific uses.”

But what do all these definitions mean? Well, as a synthesis, we can say that biotechnology is the science that uses biological machinery (living cells) of living beings to produce services that are useful for human being, which cover from the pharmaceutical field to food or industrial processes.

Biotechnology has its bases in multiple fields. Integrates various subjects that derive from applied technology and biological sciences, such as Cellular biology, molecular biology or bioinformatics. In addition, it plays other related areas such as chemistry or physics.

Biotechnology has a wide field of use. Through their use, scientists and researchers try to use the “Biological technology“Of living beings (it is said that our body works as a” machine “, and equivalent to that of the rest of the organisms) for various functions.

In this way, biotechnology has application in matters related to Medicine, Pharmacy, Agriculture (more productive crops), the food industry (healthier foods) and even environmental issues (renewable energy sources, waste treatment systems and pollution elimination).

According to the scope towards which their services are directed, it can be classified into several groups that are identified by a color code. Thus, the main ones Biotechnology types according to the color code are:

Green Biotechnology

Applied in agricultural processes such as, in obtaining transgenic plants, that is, genetically modified. These plants present “novelties” and “advantages” with respect to others depending on the trait that the human being wants to modify. They can be able to grow under adverse climatic conditions, resist various pests or diseases, etc. With all this, greater productivity in crops is obtained.

Blue or Marine Biotechnology

Even in development, it is used in marine and aquatic environments. Its usefulness lies in fields such as aquaculture, food care or cosmetic products.

Gray or Environment Biotechnology

Its purpose is the maintenance of biodiversity, that is, to preserve the species, as well as eliminate contaminants and heavy metals of the natural environment. It is linked to the bioremediation process, which uses plants and microorganisms for the reduction and elimination of these substances harmful to the environment.

Red biotechnology

Used in medical processes such as antibiotic production from organisms, the development of vaccines and drugs or the progress of genetic engineering, which through manipulation of genes finds treatment for various diseases (gene therapy).

White Biotechnology, linked to industrial processes

Its purpose is to create products that easily degrade, which consume lower energy and generate a lower amount of waste during its production, as in the textile industry. Therefore, this biotechnology uses less resources than the traditional industry.

However, they are not the only types. There are other types of biotechnology that deepen even more in the field of application:

• Orange Biotechnology: Its objective is the dissemination of biotechnology, providing information to promote and attract future researchers with high capacity for biotechnological development.
• Brown biotechnology: It encompasses the treatments that apply to arid and desert soils.
• Gold Biotechnology: It is related to bioinformatics as the analysis of data obtained from biological processes.
• Black Biotechnology: linked to bioterrorism and biological wars through the investigation of microorganisms that can be converted into biological weapons. Developing research in this field, attacks of this type can be prevented.
• Purple biotechnology: that encompasses the legal issues of this science such as safety measures, the protection of patient data, bioethics or legislation.
• Yellow Biotechnology: It is an emerging type of biotechnology belonging to the culinary industry and related to the reduction of the saturation of the fatty acids of the oils used in cuisine.

Although apparently with what is seen in the previous sections, everything is advantages with biotechnology, it also presents inconveniences that must be taken into account.

Among the Biotechnology advantages stand out:

• Superior crop yield. The resources used in them are not increased, which allows a greater amount of food for less, reducing the probability of lost crops.
• Less are used as a result of genetically modified organisms (OGM), which entails a reduction in the environmental costs and risks caused by them.
• It improves nutrition, OGM can provide superior nutrition since vitamins and proteins can be added and reduce toxins and allergen components.
• In addition, by using OGM crops in more adverse conditions, it can favor less favored countries that have lower access to food.
• Development of new biodegradable materials, which generate a lower amount of toxic waste.

However, as we have commented, not everything is excellence in this science, since it entails inconveniences. These are the Disadvantages of biotechnology:

• Risks to the environment such as losses of biodiversity or resistance to toxins for insects incorporated in OGM.
• Health risks. New toxins or allergic compounds can be created as a result of the transfer of these manipulated toxins between organisms. In addition, there is a risk of virus and bacteria leaks with which they are working on laboratories for their specific modification or use.
• In agriculture produces a decrease in labor in these processes of agricultural modernization. In addition, high costs that farmers without large resources cannot assume.

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