Abstract

World History of Modern Biotechnology and its Applications

Author(s): Raju P

Biotechnology is the technological application which utilizes biological entities, living organisms or biological derivatives. The origin of biotechnology was not novel. The origin of biotechnology arose in ancient age. The ancient Egypt and China were the countries that used biotechnology in the form of food fermentation. The concept of biotechnology bound in a wide range of procedures for modifying living organisms based on the need of human activities. If it can be considered a trade, can be traced many centuries back, when wine making, production of vinegar and distilling were important human skills. The history of biotechnology as an industry begins in the early 19th century. Thousands of years back biotechnology was used by humankind in agriculture, food production and medicine. Modern technology of biotechnology was upgraded by using genetic engineering, cell and tissue culture techniques. The term modern biotechnology is adopted to refer biotechnological techniques. The new era of modern biotechnology came through the discovery of genes made of DNA. Manipulating of living things have been done by humans since the ancient age. Modern biotechnology recent developments are genetically modified plants and animals. New applications like genetic engineering and cell fusion are come under modern biotechnology.