Biotechnology

What is
Biotechnology?
• Biotechnology is technology that utilizes biological
systems, living organisms or parts of this to develop or
create different products.
• Brewing and baking bread are examples of processes that
fall within the concept of biotechnology (use of yeast (=
living organism) to produce the desired product).
Vaccines and Antibodies
• Vaccines are made of heat-treated (dead) pathogens or mild strains of such
pathogens that cause the disease.
• When injected into your body, a vaccine will stimulate the production of
antibodies by your own body to protect you against a specific disease.
• COVID19 Vaccine
Plant
Biotechnology

• BT (Bacillus thuringiensis) Corn

• GM products
• Tissue Culture and Grafting
(Cloning)
 • Dolly was the first clone
produced from a cell taken
Animal from an adult mammal.
Biotechnology • Embryo Transfer for water
buffaloes (PCC in Nueva,
Ecija)
Human
Cloning
Stem Cell Therapy
• Stem cell therapy, also known as regenerative medicine, promotes the repair response of
diseased, dysfunctional or injured tissue using stem cells or their derivatives.
• It is the next chapter in organ transplantation and uses cells instead of donor organs,
which are limited in supply.
• For example, if the person has heart disease, the cells could be injected into the heart
muscle. The healthy transplanted heart muscle cells could then contribute to repairing
defective heart muscle.
Issues and
Concerns on
Science and
Technology and
Its Impact to the
Society

Christine Alonzo
4 Main Issues of Biotechnology

• HARM THE ENVIRONMENT- Take weeds for example. If farmers

introduce a herbicide-resistant marker into a plant, there is the
possibility those traits may be transferred to a weed, making it
resistant to herbicides as well.
• BIOTERRORISM- happens when viruses, bacteria or other germs
are released intentionally to inflict harm on or kill people, plants or
livestock.
4 Main Issues of Biotechnology

• LABORATORY/PRODUCTION SAFETY- It's hard to protect yourself

if you don't know what you're working against.
• ETHICAL ISSUES- the construction of genes from scratch (artificial
gene) means we might someday be able to create life from a
chemical soup which will most certainly go against the ethical or
religious beliefs of a significant number of people.
Effects of Assisted Human
Reproduction
• Assisted Reproductive Technology also known as ART has
given hopes to millions of couples suffering from infertility
but it has also introduced countless ethical, legal and
social challenges.
In Vitro
Fertilization
• IVF is a form of assisted
reproductive technology (ART).
This means special medical
techniques are used to help a
woman become pregnant. It is
most often tried when other, less
expensive fertility techniques
have failed.
Five Steps to IVF

• Step 1: Stimulation, also called super ovulation

Medicines, called fertility drugs, are given to the woman to
boost egg production. Normally, a woman produces one egg per
month. Fertility drugs tell the ovaries to produce several eggs.
During this step, the woman will have regular transvaginal
ultrasounds to examine the ovaries and blood tests to check
hormone levels.
Five Steps to IVF

• Step 2: Egg retrieval

A minor surgery, called follicular aspiration, is done to remove the eggs
from the woman's body. The surgery is done as an outpatient procedure in the
doctor's office most of the time. The woman will be given medicines so she does
not feel pain during the procedure. Using ultrasound images as a guide, the
health care provider inserts a thin needle through the vagina and into the ovary
and sacs (follicles) containing the eggs. The needle is connected to a suction
device, which pulls the eggs and fluid out of each follicle, one at a time. The
procedure is repeated for the other ovary. There may be some cramping after
the procedure, but it will go away within a day.
In rare cases, a pelvic laparoscopy may be needed to remove the eggs. If
a woman does not or cannot produce any eggs, donated eggs may be used.
Five Steps to IVF

• Step 3: Insemination and Fertilization

The man's sperm is placed together with the best quality eggs.
The mixing of the sperm and egg is called insemination. Eggs and sperm
are then stored in an environmentally controlled chamber. The sperm
most often enters (fertilizes) an egg a few hours after insemination. If the
doctor thinks the chance of fertilization is low, the sperm may be directly
injected into the egg. This is called intracytoplasmic sperm injection
(ICSI).Many fertility programs routinely do ICSI on some of the eggs,
even if things appear normal.
Five Steps to IVF

• Step 4: Embryo culture

When the fertilized egg divides, it becomes an embryo. Laboratory staff
will regularly check the embryo to make sure it is growing properly. Within
about 5 days, a normal embryo has several cells that are actively dividing.
Couples who have a high risk of passing a genetic (hereditary) disorder to a
child may consider pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD). The procedure is
done about 3 to 4 days after fertilization. Laboratory scientists remove a single
cell from each embryo and screen the material for specific genetic disorders.
According to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, PGD can help
parents decide which embryos to implant. This decreases the chance of passing
a disorder onto a child. The technique is controversial and not offered at all
centers.
Five Steps to IVF

• Step 5: Embryo transfer

Embryos are placed into the woman's womb 3 to 5 days after egg
retrieval and fertilization. The procedure is done in the doctor's office
while the woman is awake. The doctor inserts a thin tube (catheter)
containing the embryos into the woman's vagina, through the cervix,
and up into the womb. If an embryo sticks to (implants) in the lining of
the womb and grows, pregnancy results. More than one embryo may be
placed into the womb at the same time, which can lead to twins, triplets,
or more. The exact number of embryos transferred is a complex issue
that depends on many factors, especially the woman's age. Unused
embryos may be frozen and implanted or donated at a later date.
Issues and Concerns
Practice Regulations and Multiple
Gestation Pregnancies

• The transfer of multiple embryos in a single cycle increases the

rates of multiple births. Because of the increased social costs
and health risks associated with multiple births, legislation or
guidelines from professional societies have been introduced in
many countries restricting the number of embryos that may be
transferred per IVF cycle in an effort to limit the incidence of
multiple gestations.
Financial Aspect for IVF Treatment
Preimplantation Genetic
Testing
Gamete Donation

Another ethical and legal issue surrounding the use of

donated gametes is to what extent the anonymity of the donor
should be preserved. The issue of anonymity as it relates to
gamete and embryo donation is emotionally charged. Indeed, the
ability of human beings to know their genetic roots is universally
important, at the core of self identity. Either egg and sperm donors
may choose to or not to be anonymous, though the vast majority
in both groups generally chooses anonymity .
Possible Deleterious Effects of ART

• Causes abnormalities
How IVF works
Climate Change and
Energy Crisis
Climate Change
• Climate change describes a change in the average conditions
— such as temperature and rainfall — in a region over a long
period of time. NASA scientists have observed Earth’s surface
is warming, and many of the warmest years on record have
happened in the past 20 years.
Climate Change
• Global climate change refers to the average long-term changes over the entire
Earth. These include warming temperatures and changes in precipitation, as well
as the effects of Earth’s warming, such as:
• Rising sea levels
• Shrinking mountain glaciers
• Ice melting at a faster rate than usual in Greenland, Antarctica and the Arctic
• Changes in flower and plant blooming times.
Climate VS. Weather

• Weather describes the conditions outside right now in a

specific place. For example, if you see that it’s raining
outside right now, that’s a way to describe today’s
weather. Rain, snow, wind, hurricanes, tornadoes — these
are all weather events.
• Climate, on the other hand, is more than just one or two
rainy days. Climate describes the weather conditions that
are expected in a region at a particular time of year.
Climate VS.
Weather
What causes climate change?
 What causes climate change?

• There are lots of factors that contribute to Earth’s climate. However,

scientists agree that Earth has been getting warmer in the past 50 to 100
years due to human activities.
• Certain gases in Earth’s atmosphere block heat from escaping. This is
called the greenhouse effect. These gases keep Earth warm like the glass
in a greenhouse keeps plants warm.
• Human activities — such as burning fuel to power factories, cars and
buses — are changing the natural greenhouse. These changes cause the
atmosphere to trap more heat than it used to, leading to a warmer Earth.
Greenhouse Effect
FINAL EXAM (REQUIREMENT)

• By Group (3 members each)

• Create an informative video on some issues that concerns you as an
individual (you can choose any of the topic presented or you might
choose other issues)
• Duration: 2-3 mins. Only
• Upload the video on our facebook page or you can simply tag me so I
can watch it.
Rubrics

Criteria Points

Content 40

Creativity (Graphics, Audio, Pictures, etc.) 30

On Time Submission 20

Team Work 10

TOTAL 100 pts