ES🧬 🌱 Welcome to this lesson on biotechnology! Today we will explore how Gregor Mendel’s discoveries about genetics over 150 years ago have directly influenced the field of biotechnology, a discipline that transforms science and technology to solve problems in areas such as medicine, agriculture, and the environment. Did you know that, thanks to biotechnology, we can create more resilient plants or even produce medicines using bacteria? 😱 Let’s see how it works!
🧑🔬 What is biotechnology? 🤔
Biotechnology is the use of living organisms, cells or biological molecules to develop products and applications that benefit humanity. 🔬 This discipline combines biology, chemistry and technology to create innovative solutions in various areas.
- Biotechnology in agriculture: creating more resilient and nutritious crops. 🌾
- Biotechnology in medicine: Developing new treatments and therapies for diseases. 💊
- Environmental biotechnology: Solutions to clean up pollutants and promote sustainability. 🌍
❓Question for you: How do you think advances in biotechnology could help solve global problems such as famine or climate change? 🌍
How does this connect to Gregor Mendel?
Mendel, with his famous law of genetic inheritance, laid the foundations of modern genetics. 🌱 His work with peas, looking at how certain traits were inherited, showed us that genetics can be understood through predictable patterns, something that would later be fundamental to biotechnology. Mendel never imagined that his discoveries would be used to create transgenic plants or gene therapies, but his principles paved the way.
🔬 Modern biotechnology: Applications and examples 💡
Agriculture: Stronger and more nutritious plants 🌽
Biotechnology has revolutionized agriculture by enabling the creation of genetically modified (GMO) crops. These crops have improved characteristics such as:
- Pest resistance 🐛
- Increased resistance to extreme weather conditions 🌞❄️
- Improved nutritional quality 🍅🥕
Example: Bt corn is a type of corn genetically modified to produce a protein that makes it resistant to certain insects. This reduces the use of pesticides, which has benefits for both the environment and farmers.
🗣️ Family discussion What do you think about the use of biotechnology in food? Do you think there should be more regulation for genetically modified crops? Talk as a family about the pros and cons of biotechnology!
Medicine: therapies and medicines 💉
Biotechnology has also transformed medicine. Thanks to advances in genetics and biotechnology, we can now produce biological medicines using organisms such as bacteria or yeast.
Example: the use of bacteria to produce insulin for the treatment of diabetes. Genetically modified bacteria can produce human insulin, which was previously extracted from animal pancreases. This has made insulin more accessible and cheaper for millions of people.
⏩ Quick challenge: Research and list 3 biological drugs in use today. What benefits do these drugs offer?
Environmental biotechnology: Green solutions 🌍
Biotechnology also offers solutions to environmental problems, such as cleaning up pollutants or creating more sustainable biofuels. For example, some bacteria can break down harmful plastics or chemicals, helping to clean up contaminated sites.
😯 Fun fact: There are bacteria that can eat oil and help clean up oil spills in the sea. nature has superpowers! 🦸♂️
❓Question for you: do you think environmental biotechnology could be the key to solving problems like air or water pollution? 🌱
🧬 Techniques used in biotechnology 🧑🔬
Genetic engineering 🔧
Genetic engineering is the process of modifying an organism’s DNA to change its characteristics. This is accomplished by inserting, deleting or altering specific genes. Mendel did not know about this technology, but his studies of genetic inheritance are fundamental to scientists’ ability to modify genes with precision today.
❓ Reflective question: If you could modify a trait in a plant or animal, which trait would you choose and why? 🌾🐶
Cloning 🧑🔬
Cloning is the process of creating genetically identical copies of an organism. This can be done at the cellular level or even at the whole organism level, such as the famous case of Dolly the sheep, the first mammal cloned from an adult cell. 🐑
CRISPR-Cas9: The genetic revolution 🧬
One of the most advanced tools in biotechnology is CRISPR-Cas9, a system that allows very precise gene editing. With this technology, scientists can “cut” and “paste” DNA sequences at specific locations, which opens up many possibilities in the treatment of genetic diseases and crop improvement.
Thoughtful question: what do you think about using tools like CRISPR-Cas9 to edit human genes? Should we be more cautious about modifying the DNA of living things? 🤔
Explore more
🌱 Creative project 🎨📝
- Create an infographic that explains how genetic engineering can improve agriculture, medicine, or the environment.
- Make a diagram of how the CRISPR-Cas9 system works to edit genes and its possible applications.
🚶🏻➡️ Go further, keep learning! 🧠
- Design a presentation to show how Mendel’s discoveries led to modern biotechnology.
🧠 Final reflection: Your turn 📝
Now that you know more about how biotechnology has transformed science and technology, reflect on the following questions and record in your notebook:
- What technological advances would you like to see in the future related to biotechnology? 🚀
- What impact do you think biotechnology would have on your daily life in 10 years? 🌱
🌿 Conclusion
Biotechnology has changed the world in ways that Gregor Mendel never imagined. Thanks to his discoveries, scientists today can improve crops, produce medicines, and solve environmental problems. But biotechnology also raises ethical and social questions that we must consider as we move forward. 🌍🔬 Keep exploring this fascinating field of science, and maybe one day you’ll be the one to make the next big discovery!
