Ever since the days of Rene Descartes, the French philosopher, mathematician and biologist of seventeenth century, all human knowledge especially natural sciences were directed to develop technologies which add to the creature comforts of human lives, as also value to human life. The whole approach to understanding natural phenomena became anthropocentric. Physics and chemistry gave rise to engineering, technologies and industries which all worked for human comfort and welfare. The major utility of the biological world is as a source of food. Biotechnology, the twentieth century off-shoot of modern biology, changed our daily life as its products brought qualitative improvement in health and food production. The basic principles underlying biotechnological processes and some applications are highlighted and discussed in this unit.
Consider the following statements regarding the origin and development of biotechnology: 1. Rene Descartes’ anthropocentric approach led natural sciences towards human welfare and comfort. 2. Physics and chemistry gave rise to engineering and industries that added value to human life. 3. Herbert Boyer first demonstrated plasmid removal and reinsertion in bacterial cells. 4. Stanley Cohen’s work on plasmids combined with Boyer’s DNA splicing gave rise to recombinant DNA technology. 5. Biotechnology, a twentieth-century branch of modern biology, improved human life through food and health applications.
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