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This is a Clilstore unit. You can link all words to dictionaries.

Biotechnology

Biotechnology unit. INS de Tremp. 2016

 

1.1 What is biotechnology?

"Biotechnology" means any technological application that uses biological systems, living organisms, or derivatives thereof, to make or modify products or processes for specific use.

https://www.cbd.int/convention/articles/default.shtml?a=cbd-02

Convention on biological diversity

 

1.2 Biotechnology uses

ELISA

This antibodies are used is ELISA tests. This technique is used to detect HIV among many other viruses.  

enzyme

One application is lactase production to obtain lactase free milk.

Biotechnology has a wide range of uses. Please watch the TEDx video from Cathat Garvey and write down five different applications.

1.3 Drugs production and other compounds with therapeutic activity

Insulin was first produced by genetic engineering in 1980. Insulin is an hormone produced by the pancreas that regulates the glucose blood level.

A lack of insulin causes diabetes type I. Patients suffering from that condition need daily insulin injections.

Years ago the only way to obtain insulin was to process pancreas form pigs. The procedure was expensive and using pig insulin may lead to an immune reaction.

insulin production bbc

1.4 Gene therapy

This technique consists in replacing a mutated gene that causes a disease with a healthy gene. This way the new gene can produce a certain protein that the mutated gene was unable to.

This experimental technique could be applied to prevent diseases like Huntington syndrome, cystic fibrosis or certain immunodeficiencies.

 

 

1.5 Other biotechnology applications



 

 

1.6. Biotechnology ethical and social issues

 

 

Laboratory practice 

Yoghurt production

Yogurt is a dairy product obtained by milk fermentation. Two different bacteria are used for this purpose Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermofilus. Another way to get a dairy product is to use Lactobacillus bifidus which is a group of bacteria also known as Bifidobacterium.

Procedure part 1

Procedure part 2

Clilstore Exercise 1BBC BitesizeThe Guardian articleArticle questions

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