Chapter III:

Specific Issues in Science, Technology, and Society

LESSON 1:
THE INFORMATION AGE

Historical Development
- is considered a historic period in the 21st century.
-also called the computer, digital Age and the new media age because it was associated with the
development of computers.
- This era brought about a time period in which people could access information and knowledge
easily.

 Claide Shannon is regarded as the father of the Information Age.

Some pioneers who belonged to these period were:

Alexander Graham Bell Blaire Pascal Steve Jobs Bill Gates

Four Periods of the Information Age:

 Pre – Mechanical – 3000 B.C. - 450A.D.
 Mechanical – 1450 – 1840
 Electro-Mechanical – 1840 – 1940
 Electronic/Information – 1940 – present
Personal Computers
 Had become widespread by the end of 1980’s. They can be connected to local or national
networks.
 Through a device called the modern individual users could list their computers to a wealth of
information using conventional phone lines.

Internet
 Was developed during 1970s. In the early days, it was used by the scientists to communicate
with other scientists.. The development of fiber-optic hastened the rate of sending message.

World Wide Web

 In the 1990s, the world wide web was developed mainly for commercial purposes. New
services were created to sell products. Now, airline tickets, hotel reservations, books and even
cars and houses can be purchased online.

Living in the Information Age

Effects/Impact
 The impact of IT has been enormous on various domains including education. Computers and
the information they process and store have transformed every aspect of the society.
 IT has become a part of our every lives. There have been tremendous changes in the ways
people live, work and play over the three decades.

Some of the Advantages of Information Technology

1. Globalization – brought the world closer together, led to sharing information more quickly and
efficiently and enabled countries to share ideas and information with each other.
2. Communication- It has made communication cheaper, quicker and more efficient.
3. Cost effectiveness – it has led to computerization of business processes and increased
productivity that gave more profits, better pay and working conditions
4. Creation of new jobs – it has led to the opening up of opportunity for computer programmers,
system analysts, hardware and software developers and web designers.

Information age has introduced changes in the different aspects of people’s lives, because of
the following:
 Emergence of online companies
 Creation of economically and stimulating businesses
 More mature and educated people
 Reshaping governments with new technologies.

SUMMARY
 The Information Age also known as the computer age, digital age or new media age is a
historic period in the 21st century.
 The idea it upholds is that access to and the control of information is the defining characteristic
of this current era in human civilization.
 The driving force behind changes and new options given to us is an innovation called internet.
 New forms of communication were introduced, educational opportunities were greatly
enhanced because of the wealth of knowledge now placed at the fingertips.
LESSON 2:
GENE THERAPY VERSUS STEM CELL THERAPY

Understanding Gene Therapy

 There are many factors that determine how one’s genotype (genetic make up) correlates to
one’s phenotype (physical manifestations). Among these are penetrance, expressivity,
mosaicism, and X-inactivation.
 Penetrance is a measure of how often a disease genotype correlates to the disease
phenotype.
 Gene therapy involves altering the genes inside your body’s cells in an effort to stop or treat
the disease.
 It replaces a faulty gene or adds a new gene in an attempt to cure disease or improve your
body’s ability to fight diseases.

Two different procedures using genetic engineering to cure human illness:

 The first procedure is to insert foreign genetic material into the germ line-into sperm or eggs
where they could be passed on to succeeding generations.
 The second procedure is to use genetic engineering to insert foreign genes into somatic cells,
into any cells except sperm or eggs and their progenitors - in an effort to correct some genetic
defect.
LESSON 3:
THE ROLE OF GENES IN HEREDITY

The Role of Genes in Heredity

 Heredity is the passing on of traits from parents to their offspring, either through asexual
reproduction or sexual reproduction.
 Heredity information is contained or within the genes, located in the chromosomes of each cell.
 Heredity factors known as genes are thought to exist as discrete portions (known as loci) of
chromosomes.
 The term “discrete” refers to the concept that genes are always at the same point or (locus)
on a chromosome.
 Pairs of genes that exercise such parallel control over the same traits are known as alleles,
which are of two kinds: dominant and recessive.
 Genetic characteristics can be extremely complex and may require the actions of several
separate genes to be expressed in the adult organism.

Common genetic disorder:

Down syndrome
Sickle cell disease
Phenyl ketoneeria(PKU)
Hemophilia

 Each of our gene codes contains unique protein and each protein has a separate and distinct
function to perform in the cell.

Effects of genes in our environment

 Genes are inherited, but their expression can be modified by interactions with the environment.
Genetic traits are determined largely through the precise information found in the cell’s gene
structure. A variety of factors in the environment can actually alter the effects of a particular
gene.

Gene mutations
 Gene mutations may be defined as being any changes in the nitrogenous base sequence of a
molecule DNA. When the base sequence of DNA is altered, the amino acid sequence of the
polypeptide for which it codes will likewise be altered. Such an alteration may affect the
operation of the resulting enzyme, preventing it from properly catalyzing its reaction and thus
preventing a trait from being expressed by the cell.
 Majority of gene mutations are harmful because they result in the cell being impaired from
performing specific task.in rare cases, a mutation may result in a lethal gene that kills the cell
either by producing a substance that is toxic to the cell or by falling to produce a protein of vital
importance to the cell.
 DNA is a polymer made up of a repeating chemical unit known as nucleotide. Thousands of
the units are known to comprise a single DNA molecule, making it one of the largest of all
organic compounds.

DNA nucleotides are being composed of three separate subunits:

Phosphate group - chemical group made up of phosphorous and oxygen
Deoxyribose – five carbon sugars made up of carbon, oxygen and hydrogen.
 Nitrogenous base – chemical unit composed of carbon, oxygen, hydrogen and nitrogen.
Bases found in DNA are adenine, thymine, cytosine, and guanine.

 Decoding messages is also a keep step in gene expression, in which information form a gene
is read out to build a protein. Genetic code allows DNA and RNA sequences to be “decoded”
into amino acids of a protein.

DNA Code
 The chemical and structural properties of DNA are the bases for how the genetic information
that underlies heredity is both encoded in genes and replicated by means of template. The
particular sequence of nitrogenous base comprises a strand of DNA and providing the type of
chemical code that is understood by the chemical mechanism of the cell. The DNA code is
used by these mechanisms to manufacture specific enzymes and other proteins through the
process of protein synthesis.
 DNA strand provides a template (pattern) for the formation of messenger RNA (mRNA). The
DNA code is transcribed (read) by mRNA as the latter synthesized in a pattern complementary
to the DNA strand. The process by which the DNA code is transferred to mRNA code is known
as transcription.
 Each group of the three nitrogenous bases, known as a triplet codon, provides the information
necessary to code for the insertion of a single, specific amino acid into building protein
molecule. The particular sequence of triplet codons on DNA enables amino acid to be linked
together in a specific sequence during protein synthesis.
 DNA is not merely a molecule with pattern, it is a CODE, a language, and an information
STORAGE.

The Genetic Code

 For offspring to resemble their parents, information must be reliably transferred from one
generation to the next.
 Heredity is the passage of these instructions from one generation to another.
 DNA replicates itself when chromosomes replicate in the early stages of cell division.
 DNA regulates the production of enzymes in the cell and thereby enables the cell and thereby
enables the cell and thereby enables the cell to perform the complex cellular chemical
reactions necessary to sustain life.
 Stem-cell therapy focuses on the use of stem cells to treat or prevent a disease or condition.
 Stem-cell are a special read of cells that are capable of differentiating into more than one kind
of tissue. Stem cells are used for curing various diseases such as diabetes, arthritis, few
cancers, bone marrow failure.
 Genetic engineering is a technique of controlled manipulation of genes to change the genetic
make-up of cells and more genes across species boundaries.

SUMMARY
 The lesson was a discussion to enlighten us on the role of genes in heredity particularly how
genes cause certain aspects in the growth and development of the individual.
 Parents should look into the genetic traits that their children will exhibit. The explanation on
gene mutations included the understanding of the DNA and genetic Code.
LESSON 4:
BIODIVERSITY AND THE HEALTHY SOCIETY

The Impact of Biodiversity on Human Life

 Biodiversity is defined as the different species of our plants and animals and the places they
live.
 Biodiversity is the source of the essential goods and ecological services.
 Human technologies have significant impacts on the natural world by producing materials that
pollute air, water and soil.
 As species, it is essential that we understand the necessity of preserving the natural
environment and its living species as a means of ensuring our own survival.
 Education and environmental awareness on a global level is essential.
 Governments, industries, and the general public must come together with the long range
impact of human activity that destroys the biological life on earth.

Human Population Growth

 Human population growth has risen at a very rapid rate over the past centuries. The rapid
increase in human population and technology that supports that growth has put extreme
pressures on the natural world, threatening the survival of natural species and habitats.
 In many less developed areas of the world, the human population has grown faster than the
food supply, causing widespread famine that threatens to eliminate large portions of the
population.
 It remains to be seen when similar collapses will occur in developed countries. Apparently, the
human species is rapidly approaching a point where it will be unable to sustain continued
growth.

Pollution and Destruction in our Environment

 Technological and industrial processes have led to the production of chemicals and by
products that are harmful to living things. Such toxic chemicals have contributed to our global
environment pollution.
 Many species, including humans are exposed to these pollutants and subject to their toxic
effects.

Destruction of Habitat
 Humans have used their technologies to remove trees and other plant life from wide areas of
their natural habitat for the purpose of creating agricultural lands, industrial zones, roadways,
or residential and commercial developments.
 These activities have the effect of displacing plant and animal species important to the
maintenance of a balanced ecosystem.

Exploitation of Animals and Plants

 Humans who have great desire to possess exotic animals and plants or their products have
been enabled by modern transportation, communication and economic technologies. Each
species loss impacted its ecosystem in a negative way. Each exploited species to one degree
or another, in danger of extension because of this exploitation.

Signs of Environmental Contamination

 Many warning signs exist indicate that a dangerous disequilibrium is being created in our
ecosystems.
  Some researchers suspect that toxic chemicals by-products, heavy metals, pesticides,
hormones, pharmaceuticals and other contaminants are responsible for an increased
frequency in deformation of illnesses, death of natural populations worldwide.
 In our own species, adverse health effects linked to chemical exposure are increasingly
prevalent among infancy and early childhood.

Consumption of Energy
 Worldwide, industrialization has brought an increased demand for use of energy resources. It
brought both positive and negative effects on humans and ecosystems.
 For some time the source of energy has changed, the development of theses energy sources
often uses valuable agricultural land for the construction, storage and transport of energy they
produce.

Fossils for Fuels

 Fossil fuels are commonly used as an energy source in industrial processes for the past 200
years.
 The chemical by-product s of fossil fuel combustion are released into the atmosphere and
contribute to the worldwide air pollution as well as phenomenon acid rain.
 Acid base alteration often leads to elimination of sensitive species of fish and amphibians in
the ecosystem.
 The burning of fossil fuels has also been linked to phenomenon known as global warming.

SUMMARY
 We have to consider the entire Earth as a single unit, a loss of single-celled species or a family
of wild grass can have adverse effects in the entire biosphere.
 Biodiversity loss will have a great negative effect especially to us humans.
 We must recognize the value of the organisms with which we share the planet.
 A mitigating plan and a workable plan of action should be studied in order to not compromise
biodiversity, while at the same time, promote good health among the society.
LESSON 5:
THE NANO WORLD

Defining the Terms

 Nanoscience refers to the scientific study of materials of nanometer size.
 It is a combination of developments in solid state chemistry, synthetic chemistry, molecular
biology, solid state physics and engineering, and scanning tunneling microscopy.
 According to Alfred Nordmann, it is a site oriented tehno science that differs both from classical
theory driven and problem-driven
 Nanotechnology refers to various technologies to produce materials of extra high precision and
dimensions on the scale of one-billionth of a meter.
 Implies the ability to generate and utilize structures, components and devices with a size range
from about 0.1nm (atomic and molecular scale) to about 100nm (or larger in some situations)
by control at atomic molecular and macromolecular levels.
 One of the most interesting aspects of nanotechnology is building molecule-by-molecule
materials similar to those produced by biological self- assembly, self-organization and self-
regulation.

What is Nano World?

Personages who have contributed to the growth and study of Nano world

 Retroactive rediscovery of Feynmans “plenty of room” gave

nanotechnology a package history that provided an early date of
December 1959, plus the connection to the charisma and genius of
Richard Feynman. Feynman stature as a Nobel laureate and as an
iconic figure in the 20th century science surely helped advocates of
nanotechnology and provided a valuable intellectual link to the past

 His paper on the Nano systems: Molecular machinery,

manufacturing, and computation, received the association of American
Publishers award for best computer science book of 1992. Drexler
founded the foresight Institute in 1986 with the mission of “Preparing
for Nanotechnology.”
  Scanning tunneling microscope was developed in 1981by
Gerd Binnig and Heinrich Rohrer at IBM Zurich Research
Laboratory, for which they were awarded the nobel prize in physics
in 1986.

 Scanning tunneling microscope - it enables scientists to

view and manipulate nanoscale particles, atoms, and small
molecules.

 Binnig, Calvin Quate and Christoph Gerber invented the

first atomic force microscope in 1986.The first commercially
available atomic force microscope was introduced in 1989.
 Atomic force microscope - it makes use of a
mechanical probe that gathers information from the surface of
a material.

 IBM researcher Don Eigler was the first to manipulate atoms using a
scanning tunneling microscope in 1989.He used 35 Xenon atoms to
spell out the IBM logo. He shared the 2010 Kavli Prize in
nanoscience for this work.

Initial Commercial applications

 The early 2000s saw the beginning of the use of nanotechnology in commercial products,
although most applications are limited to the bulk use of passive nanomaterials.
  As of March 10, 2011, the project on emerging nanotechnologies estimated that over 1300
manufacturer-identified nanotech products are publicly available, with new ones hitting the
market at a pace of 3-4 per week.

Potential Uses:
Energy production, conservation and storage
Enhancement of agricultural productivity
Treatment and remediation of water
Screening and diagnosing diseases
Systems for drug delivery
Processing and storing food
Controlling air pollution
Construction
Monitoring health
Detecting and controlling pests

SUMMARY
 The nano world is perhaps the fastest growing world in the twenty-first century.
 Global competitions among nations in nanotechnology research, development, and marketing
is on rise.
 Advantages of nanotechnology towards improving the quality of life are many and are felt by
mankind.
 Systematic exploration, characterization, organization and regulation of the nanoworld are
warranted to make the best use of nanoscience and nanotechnology.