Biotech Research Task
What is the name of your chosen biotechnology focus and what field is it used in?
IVF. It is used in the field of treatment for infertility.
Provide a brief timeline of the development of your chosen technology. How was it
discovered?
IN 1943, Hormone medications were evolved for fertility.
1950- Tests on rats and rabbits.
1960s- drugs to increase fertility are introduced.
1968- researchers first got back and fertilised human eggs
1969- The fertilisation of the first human egg cell
1970s- Testing IVF on Humans
1978- Through IVF, the first Human is born
Explain the current way that it is used. Step-by-step what is the process that leads to
the successful product? Name the product or products that are created.
It is used to aid individuals or couples that have fertility problem, to go through
pregnancy for a child to be conceived.
At the time of IVF, eggs which are mature are gathered from ovaries and is
fertilized by sperm and this process takes place in a laboratory. After this a process
is conducted to put a single or more of the eggs which have been fertilised, named
embryos, in a uterus. This is where babies grow. 2 to 3 weeks are taken for a full
cycle of IVF.
Products that are created through IVF are embryos and pregnancy.
What are the benefits and advantages to using the technology?
IVF is shown to add to the person’s possibility of conceiving a child even if the
woman is more than 30 years old. IVF gives you the highest rate of success for all
the infertility problems.
What are the disadvantages and ethical concerns of using this technology?
IVF is hard to bear for the body and your mind. A needle is put into the
vagina to collect eggs, and this could cause an infection or harm to your
bladder or blood vessel. IVF increases the risk of having more babies which
means there are higher risks of diabetes or high blood pressure and early
labour.
What is your opinion of your chosen technology? Considering the pros and cons do
you think that we as a society should be using it? Are there any limits you think we
should place on the usage such as laws etc?
I think IVF should be used as this gives you a high rate of success even though this
has cons to it, it is a good way for couples or individuals struggling to conceive a
baby to conceive one with this process. I don’t think any laws should be places on
the use of this as this is a choice by people wanting to do it, which isn’t causing
issue for anyone.
Bibliography:
[Link]
[Link]
%20supplements%20are%20developed,retrieved%20and%20fertilized%20human%20eggs
[Link]
process-work
[Link]
ivf#:~:text=The%20ultimate%20advantage%20of%20IVF,child%20using%20their%20own
%20eggs.
[Link]
What is the name of your chosen biotechnology focus and what
field is it used in? GMO. It is used in the field’s environmental management,
agriculture, research and medicine.
Provide a brief timeline of the development of your chosen
technology. How was it discovered?
1866- An Austrian Monk known as Gregor Mendel breeds
two types of peas different form each other and
recognised the root procedure of genetics
1922- The 1st hybrid corn is made and sold industrially.
1973: Biochemist knowns as Stanley Cohen and Herbert
Boyer evolve genetic engineering
1982: FDA accepts the 1st consumer GMO product evolved
through genetic engineering
1992: FDA policy makes a statement that foods from GMO
plants had to reach the same requirements which
includes the same standard of safety.
1994: The 1st GMO produce made with genetic
engineering ( A GMO Tomatoes accessible to buy)
2003- Food and agriculture organisation and World Health
organisation of the United Nations evolve global
regulations and standards to consider the protection of
GMO Foods.
2005- GMO sugar beets and Alfalfa are accessible and
ready for sale in the United States
2015- FDA accepts the appeal for the 1st generic
modification in an animal to utilise as food, a genetically
engineered salmon.
2017: GMO apple are accessible and ready to purchase in
the US
2020: GMO pink pineapple is accessible to people in the
US.
Explain the current way that it is used.
A lot of GMO crops are used to create ingredients that
Americans consume which include crushed sugar,
cornstarch, canola oil, corn syrup, soybean oil or corn oil.
Few GMO crops were introduced particularly to advantage
consumer. For e.g. a GMO soybean that is sued to make a
healthier oil is grown industrially and is accessible.
Step-by-step what is the process that leads to the
successful product? Name the product or products that
are created.
Step 1: Identify what trait they would like the organism to
have. Then they look for an organism that consist of that
trait in its genes.
Step 2: After finding the gene which consists of that trait,
they replicate the gene.
Step 3: Tools are used to put that gene inside the DNA of
the organism.
Step 4: They grow the new organism in the laboratory to
make sure it has acquired the trait. If this is a success,
scientist grow and supervise the organism in
greenhouses and later in tiny field test prior to moving it
to larger field test. GMO Plants face close analysation and
test before they can be prepared for farmers to purchase.
What are the benefits and advantages to using the technology?
It is easy to regulate weed and has better resistance to
viruses of plants. This aids in increasing food security by
decreasing waste of food. GMO also benefits as you
require less pesticides and this also improves the quality
of the food and decreases food costs.
What are the disadvantages and ethical concerns of using this
technology?
GMOs can impact ecosystems in a negative way by
decreasing biodiversity and disturbing food webs. It also
negatively affects traditional farming practises and harms
the environment. The danger of outcrossing also is a
disadvantage as genes from GMO foods go into crops and
wild plants and negatively affects insects and other
species.
What is your opinion of your chosen technology? Considering the
pros and cons do you think that we as a society should be using
it? Are there any limits you think we should place on the usage
such as laws etc?
I think we should be using GMOs as this provides many benefits
for plants like increasing food security and overall is a healthier
option for crops as it requires less pesticides which means the
crops are healthier for consumption therefore prevent you from
any sickness or disease.
Bibliography:
[Link]
food-modification-processes
[Link]
[Link]
%20reasons%20farmers,reduce%20the%20use%20of%20pesticides
[Link]
beyond#:~:text=Many%20GMO%20crops%20are%20used,%2C%20papayas%2C%20and
%20pink%20pineapples.
[Link]