Biotechnology is a field that uses biological processes, organisms, or systems to develop products and technologies that improve human life and the health of the planet. Its applications span multiple industries and sectors, leading to innovations in medicine, agriculture, environmental management, and industrial processes.
NCERT XII : Biology: Chapter 12: Biotechnology
1) Biotechnology produces biopharmaceuticals and genetically modified microbes, fungi, plants and animals.
2) Applications of biotech are therapeutics, diagnostics, crops, bioremediation, waste treatment, energy production.
3) A microbe on pure enzymes provides the best catalyst.
4) Biotechnology increases food production by agro-chemical based agriculture, organic farming, and genetically engineered crops.
5) The Green Revolution succeeded in tripling (3 times) the food supply.
6) Plants, bacteria, fungi and animals whose genes have been altered by manipulation are called Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO).
7) GM plants tolerate more abiotic stresses (cold, drought, heat, salt).
8) Genetic Modification reduces reliance on chemical pesticides (Pest-resistant crops) on plants.
9) Genetic Modification has increased efficiency of mineral usage by plants (prevents early exhaustion) of fertility of soil.
10) It enhances nutritional values of food e.g golden rice i.e Vitamin A enriched rice.
11) GM creates tailor-made plants in the form of starches, fuels and pharmaceuticals for alternative resources.
12) Bt toxin is produced by bacteria called Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) that provide resistance to insects.
13) Bacillus thuringiensis produce protein that kills the insects such as Lepidopterans (tobacco budworms, armyworm), Coleopterans (beatles), Dipterans (flies, mosquitoes).
14) Bt toxin insecticidal proteins exist as inactive protoxins.
15) An insect ingests the inactive toxin which converts to active due to the alkaline pH of the gut that solublies the crystal.
16) It leads to binding of epithelial cells (gut), creates pores, causes swelling and lysis and causes death of insects.
17) The choice of genes depends upon the crop and the targeted pest (insects).
18) The toxin is coded by a gene cryIAc named cry.
19) Gene cryIAc & cryIIAb control cotton bollworms and cryIAb controls corn borer.
20) A nematode Meloidogyne incognita infects roots of tobacco plants causing reduction in yield.
21) RNA interference (RNAi) takes place in all eukaryotic organisms as a method of cellular defence.
22) Agrobacterium vectors, nematode specific genes (DNA) were introduced in host plants that produce sense and antisense RNA in host cells.
23) Two RNA (complementary) formed the dsRNA initiated RNAi silenced the mRNA of Nematode. The parasite does not survive in a transgenic host expressing interfering RNA.
24) Recombinant DNA technological processes made an immense impact in healthcare by mass production and therapeutic drugs.
25) 30 recombinant therapeutics approved for human use. In India, 12 of these are marketed.
26) Diabetes patients should be taking insulin at regular intervals.
27) Insulin used for diabetes extracted from pancreas of slaughtered cattle and pigs (Earlier process) which may cause allergy to some patients.
28) Insulin consists of two short polypeptide chains → Chain A and Chain B both linked by disulphide bridges.
29) In mammals, Insulin synthesised as a prohormone contains an extra stretch called the C-peptide.
30) In 1983, Eli Lilly (American) prepared two DNA sequences corresponding to A and B chains of human insulin and introduced them in plasmids of E. coli to produce insulin chains.
31) Chains A and B were produced separately extracted and combined by creating disulfide bonds to form human insulin.
32) Gene therapy is a collection of methods that allows correction of gene defects diagnosed in a child/ embryo.
33) The first clinical gene therapy was given in 1990 to a 4 year old girl with Adenosine Deaminase (ADA) deficiency.
34) ADA is caused due to deletion of the gene.
35) In some children, ADA deficiency is cured by bone marrow transplantation, enzyme replacement therapy, functional ADA given in culture.
36) Lymphocytes (WBC) of the patient grown in culture (outside) then a functional ADA, cDNA introduced into these Lymphocytes and then returned to the patient again.
37) At embryonic stages, gene isolate from marrow cells producing ADA is introduced into cells is a permanent cure.
38) Early diagnosis, understanding Pathophysiology is important of effective treatment.
39) Recombinant DNA technology, PCR, ELISA are used for early diagnosis.
40) Very low concentration of bacteria, viruses (pathogens), can be detected by amplification of their nucleic acid by PCR.
41) PCR used to detect HIV in suspected AIDS patients, cancer patients etc.
42) A single stranded DNA or RNA tagged with a radioactive molecule (probe) is allowed to hybridise to its cDNA clone of cells by detection using autoradiography.
43) ELISA is based on the principle of antigen-antibody interaction detected by antibodies synthesised against pathogen.
44) Animals had their DNA manipulated to possess and express an extra (foreign) gene known as transgenic animals.
45) Transgenic animals designed to allow the study of how genes are regulated & affect the normal. Study normal functions
46) Transgenic animals designed to understand how genes contribute to diseases that investigation made new treatments.
47) Transgenic Animal models exists for many human diseases such as cancer, cystic fibrosis, rheumatoid arthritis and Alzheimer’s disease.
48) Transgenic Animals produce biological products from DNA (genes) which codes such as human protein (α-1-antitrypsin).
49) In 1997, the first transgenic cow, Rosie, introduced human protein milk (2.4gm/L) containing human α-Lactalbumin.
50) Transgenic mice are being used to test the safety of the polio vaccine.
51) Transgenic animals are more sensitive to toxic substances than non- transgenic animals. Testing results in the effects studied in less time.
52) Ethical standards are required to evaluate the molarity of all human activities that might help or harm living organisms.
53) Genetic modification of organisms has unpredictable results when introduced into the ecosystems.
54) India Govt. set up GEAC (Genetic Engineering Approval Committee) to make decisions regarding validity of researches and so introducing.
55) There are an estimated 2,00,000 varieties of rice in India alone.
56) Basmati rice is distinct for its unique aroma and flavour. 27 documented varieties of Basmati are grown in India.
57) Biopiracy is a term used to refer to use of biodiversity (bio-resources) by multinational companies/ organisations without authorisation and people concerned without compensatory payment.
58) Indian Parliament recently cleared the second amendment of the Indian Patents Bill, taking issues like consideration of patent forms provisions, research, development initiative.
Microbes in Human Welfare (Chapter 10)
Organism and Population (Chapter 13)
Biodiversity and Conservation (Chapter 15)