BIODIVERSITY

- It is the variety of life resulting from evolutionary factor and mechanisms

- LUCA (last common ancestor)
• Life on earth originated from a single ancestor
• The tree of life
• Humans are just accumulated from previous organisms
• We are a group of characteristics that others don’t have
- Basis of tree of life
• Fish -> frog -> lizard -> kangaroo -> chimpanzee -> humans
• Chromosome – determines sex; pairs of DNA compressed
• Genes – inside of DNA
• DNA – spiral ladder

TYPES OF BIODIVERSITY

• ECOSYSTEM BIODIVERSITY
o The types of habitats. The higher the amount of habitat, the more species it has
o Ecosystem – organisms interacting with the environment
o The biggest and broadest level of biodiversity
• SPECIES DIVERSITY
o Various species exist, species are balanced
• GENETIC DIVERSITY
o The variations in species, each have unique genes
o The smallest; manipulates genes

BIOTECHNOLOGY

- The process of using a living organism for the betterment of the process we create
- Modifying organisms
- Genetic engineering – transferring of genes from one organism to another

TYPES OF MODIFIED GENES

• Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO)

o Genetic material that has been altered in a way that does not occur naturally
• Living Modified Organism (LMO)
o Actual organism that posses the genetic modification
o A living organism that posses the combination of genetic material obtained through the
use of modern technology

GMO BENEFITS

- Lessens allergenicity by modifying the food

- Allergies – certain chemicals the body can’t process
- Less use of pesticides by inserting a specific gene in the plant to remove pests
GMO CONCERNS

- No GMO foods used today has been proven to cause allergic reactions, toxicity, unexpected
genetic changes, or reduced nutrition
- No DNA transfer will occur
- Cells can be the cause of reactions in the body but not the cell’s genes

CARTEGINA PROTOCOL

- A ruleset for handling and transporting GMOs

- If the GMO is loose, it may reproduce
- AIA mechanism (advanced informed agreement)
• Contains the details of GMO
1. Notified about the proposed import
2. Receives full information about the LMO
3. Can assess the risks associated with that LMO and decide whether to allow the
import or not

GENE THERAPY

- Designed to introduce genetic material into cells to compensate for abnormal genes or to make
a beneficial protein
- Insertion of gene to cure abnormal gene
- Faulty genes can be replaced with normal gene
- Hemophilia – a genetic disease that can be solved by gene therapy
- Uses vector to insert the gene
- Viruses are often vectors
- Vector is introduced in two ways: through IV and through cell extraction
- Two outcomes if it failed:
• Will not accept
• Sorts of accept but causes malfunction which will form cancer cells or tumors

GENE THERAPY SAFETY

- Have serious health risks such as toxicity, inflammation, cancer

• US Food and Drug Administration
o Regulates gene therapy products
o Researchers need to ask permission
• Institutional Review Board and Institutional Biosafety Committee
o Regulates the safety of humanity
• National Institution of Health (NIH)
o Provides guidelines or procedures to follow when conducting trials with
gene therapy
• Recombinant DNA advisory Committee
o They can allow and suspend the study or research of gene therapy
ETHICAL ISSUES OF GENE THERAPY

• Germline Gene Therapy

o Prevents future offspring from having genetic disorders
• Diseases and Gene Therapy
o Monogenic disorder – from a single gene and can be highly inheritable
o Polygenic disorders – from multiple genes and is dependent on certain factors to be
oppressed
o Infectious diseases
 STS NANOTECHNOLOGY

Easteregg hunt Letter backwards send picture of that word

SULTAOCLAZTEUQ

QUETZALCOATLUS

NANOTECHNOLOGY

- A form of technology that is being executed in a nanometer scale

- Nanotechnology – combination of biological ang physical science
- Ex. Suit of Iron man
• Nanoscale
o can observe quantum mechanical effects
▪ quantum mechanics
• example: Schrödinger’s cat
o Edwin schrodinger proposed a thought experiment of
having a cat placed in a box that contains poison. After
an hour, the poison should kill the cat. After the hour
passed, you are about to open the box questioning if
the cat is dead or still alive.
o Answer: both alive and dead at the same time
o Explanation: you can only know if the cat is dead or
alive when you see it. If you haven’t observed if it is
alive or dead, then the cat has 2 probabilities happening
in the same time. Which is why it is both alive and dead

NANOENGINEERED MATERIALS

• Nanowhiskers
o Used to prevent stains because it blocks stains that enters the cloth
o Crossing patterns
• Nanocrystals
o Used for skin applicants (sunblocks)
o Zinc oxide nanocrystals
• Nanocoatings
o Nanowhiskers – whiskers causing the resistance
o Nanocoatings – actual coatings
o Ex. Sprays for coating
o Can be used for bulletproof vests
• Carbon nanotubes
o Examples of materials that introduce nanotechnology to a living organism or something
you want to put nanotechnology into
o A tube that connects from one point to another
o Carries nanomaterials
 • Nanomaterials
o Healthcare, environment -
o Photoelectric – solar panels – nanomaterials used to capture light better and convert it
to energy
• Nanobots
o Nanorobots and nanomachines – ultimate aim of nanotechnology

FOUR GENERATIONS (rewatch)

- Proposed by Mike Roco

- Shows the nanotechnology that have developed over the years
o Passive nanostructures (passive generation)
▪ Materials that we have in a nanoscale
▪ Ex. Aerosol – a propellant of compressed gas. It releases gas, not liquid. Used in
spray materials (spray paint, hairspray)
▪ Passive – doesn’t react
o Active nanostructures
▪ Plays an active role in the system
▪ Introduced In a system and now is an important role in the system
▪ Ex. Vaccines
o Systems of nanosystems
▪ Creates a system
▪ Multiple sets of unit doing a particular thing but only aimed at one goal
o Molecular nanosystems
▪ Doing something at a molecular level which gives the quantum mechanical
effects
▪ Designing certain atoms
▪ Alchemy – converting something into something new

NANOTECHNOLOGY DANGERS

- Unknown dangers, misuse, harmful effects to health and environment

- Terrorism in the form of biological and atomic weapons at a nanoscale
- Unknown dangers of quantum mechanical effects
- Ethical concerns
- Genetic and bioengineering + nanotechnology is potentially dangerous
- Possible toxicity of nanomaterials
- Gray goo scenario – natural world overrun by nanobots; apocalypse of nanotechnology
o Laboratory findings
▪ Exposure to fullerenes killed water fleas
▪ Fullerenes – example of nanotechnology; used for nanostructures, referred as
bucky balls – potentiall danger for living organisms
▪ Fullerenes caused extensive brain damage and changed the physiological make-
up of fish
 ▪ Earthworms absorbed fullerenes that easily traveled through soil
• Danger topping over bioaccumulation
• Bioaccumulation – neither good or bad. Accumulation of certain
materials from what you eat
▪ Nanoparticles built-up in the bodies of lab animals subjected of long-term
exposure
▪ Quantum dots (qdots) caused cadmium poisoning in humans
▪ Nanoparticles can travel through a mother’s placenta
▪ Nanoparticles can assist in the formation of free radicals

NANOTECHNOLOGY ADVANTAGES

- Advances in disease treatments, such as cancer

- Better imaging and diagnostic equipment
- Energy-efficient products such as fuel and solar cells
- Replacement for fuels, use of solar
- Improvements in manufacturing that allow for durable, lightweight, efficient production tools
- Aerogel – lightest solid in the entire planet because of nanotechnology
- Improved electronic devices, including transistors, LED and plasma displays and quantum
computers
- Nanorobots can be used to rebuild the ozone layer, clean polluted areas, and lessen
dependence on non-renewable energy sources

Nanotechnology in medicine

- Advancements in imaging and diagnostic tools, drug delivery systems, treatment practices, anti-
microbial options and cell repair and regeneration
- Targeted treatment of cancer cells
- Targeted drug therapies, increasing efficacy and decreasing potential side effects.
- Micromanipulation of nanoparticles can arrange atoms to attract affected cells, which can also
aid in earlier diagnosis of diseases such as cancer.
- Micromanipulation – being doctor at nanoscale
- Have anti-flammatory properties to stop allergic reactions
- Nanoparticles can also reduce bleeding and speed coagulation
- Diagnosting testing can be improved by arranging nanoparticles to detect proteins or diseased
cells and enhance MRI imaging
- Creams can be used to attack infections and treat wounds
- Burn dressing treated with antimicrobial nanocapsules can prevent and treat infections.
- In the future, nanorobots could be encoded in such a way that they repair damaged cells like the
body’s innate method of healing
- Potential to increase life spans, diagnose and treat disease more effectively and provide
therapies that closely mimic the body’s natural health processes
NANOTECHNOLOGY DISADVANTAGES

- The potential dangers to humans and the environment

- Loss of manufacturing and agricultural jobs
- Economic market crashes, potential lower value of oil due to more efficient energy sources and
gold or diamonds, materials that can be reproduced with molecular manipulation
- Companies that produce oil, who has the largest economic market, will collapse which will result
to economic market crash
- Accessibility of weapons of mass destruction
- Improved atomic weaponry
- The cost of research and products made from nanoparticles
 CLIMATE CHANGE

- The drastic change in the long term weather patterns in a particular area
- Caused by global warming
- Global warming – cause
- Climate change – effect
• Global warming
▪ Without greenhouse gases, heat bounces back
▪ Greenhouse gases traps the heat
▪ The greater the greenhouse gases-> the higher the green house effect -> the
higher the global warming effect -> the more drastic climate change becomes
• Greenhouse gas
▪ Brought by natural events but mostly, human activities
▪ Stays in the atmosphere for a very long time
▪ Creates a warming effect that lasts for a very long time as well
• Carbon dioxide
o From burning of fossil fuels and other carbon-based materials
o Worsened by deforestation and soil degradation
o Plants filter these, called photosynthesis
o Trees helps less carbon dioxide
o Zero carbon emission – less carbon emission
• Methane
o From production and transport of fuels
o Can also be found in livestock and agricultural production
o May be from decay of organic waste in landfills
o Highly flammable gas
*our digestive system have methane
• Nitrous oxide
o From agricultural and industrial activities
o Also from combustion of fossil fuels and solid waste
o Banned in some countries
• Fluorinated gases
o Hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, sulfur hexafluoride,
among others
o From household, industrial and commercial processes
o Used in replacements to CFCs
IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE

- Threatens clean air, safe water, nutritious food supply, and safe shelter
- Undermine decades of global health
- Between 2030 to 2050, expected death toll of 250000 due to its impacts
• Paris agreement
▪ Agreement established in relation to climate change
▪ Goal is to hold “the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2
degree Celsius above pre-industrial levels” and pursue efforts “to limit the
temperature increase to 1.5 degree Celsius above pre-industrial levels”
▪ China, Russia, US – highest carbon emission
▪ For growing countries to continue to grow
• Continuous change
▪ Change will persist beyond this century
▪ Will depend on the amount of greenhouse gases emitted globally
▪ How will Earth react to such changes
▪ Climate change will continue, but we can lessen it
• Rise of temperatures
▪ Global warming causes hot areas to become hotter
▪ Will not be uniform and smooth and will vary from place to place
▪ If temperature continuously rise, it will affect the weather
▪ Heatwave – hot air
• Seasons lengthen
▪ Frost free and growing seasons lengthen
▪ Greenhouse gas emission increase and may increase the length of time of said
seasons
▪ Frost free season -
▪ Growing season – in between frost free season
▪ Agriculture can affect global warming
• Precipitation patterns
▪ Increase and decrease in precipitation in various areas
▪ Heavier precipitation is expected
▪ Unpredictability of precipitation patterns
• Drought and heat waves
▪ An increase in frequency and length of drought and heat waves
▪ Increasing summer temperatures
▪ Soil moisture reduction causes more heat
• Stronger typhoons
▪ Increase in frequency and intensity of typhoons and hurricanes
▪ Uncertainty of effects of human and natural factors combined
▪ Greater rainfall and storm intensity and amount
 • Sea level increase
▪ Rise of water level because of melting ice sheets due to heat
▪ Expansion of sea water due to heat
▪ Results into flooding
▪ Will continue way past the century
▪ Ocean water level affects the humidity in the air
• Ice-free arctic
▪ Arctic region will fully melt
▪ Expected to happen before mid-century
▪ Antarctic landmasses may most likely be exposed
▪ Italy will sink if ice caps melt
▪ Half of great Britain will also sink
▪ But the plate of the Philippines continuously go up so it wont be affected
• Philippines
▪ Pretty much the same as worldwide
▪ “punching bag” of the effects
▪ As a developing country, caught in the crossfire of preserving nature and
evolving as a country
▪ Sea level rise results to more frequent flooding
▪ Permanent submersion of low lying areas
▪ Storm surge destruction is imminent
▪ Fishes and corals at risk
• Rain contains acid
• Paghumalo sa tubig, fishes will be affected
• Corals are very sensitive animals
• They can die by touching
• Jellyfish are related to corrals

FIGHTING CLIMATE CHANGE

• Green commuting
o Vehicle emissions are one of the leading sources of greenhouse gases
o Avoid single-person driving
o Take public transport or carpooling
o Biking can improve environmental and personal health
▪ Carpooling
• Mag sabay sabay
• Mababawasan ang carbon emission
• Energy conservation
o Energy efficiency = lesser emissions
▪ Same energy consumption, but longer
o Cutting down of electrical usage
o Turning off and unplugging
o Switch to energy efficient devices
• Right to vote
o Get the right people into office
o Legislators and politicians should stand for your cause
o Stand against corporations
o More scientifically-inclined people in office, the better
• Recycle
o Manufacturing of products creates greenhouse gases
o Reducing product manufacturing therefore reducing greenhouse gas emission
o Collect and sent to recycling facilities
• Educate
o Utilize the multitude of platforms to inform people
o Know the facts and disseminate it to people
o Inform the dangers to current and future generations
o Inform how to act
• Encourage
o Spread about renewable energy sources
o Encourage that it is money-saving as well
o Get other to invest into the idea