How Does

Biotechnology Affect
Individuals, Society,
and the Environment?
Grade 8 Science and Technology

What is Biotechnology?
Some Ideas?

Some examples?

What is Biotechnology?
In its most simple form, biotechnology
is the use of living systems
(organisms) by people to make
products.
Biotechnology uses many different
sciences, such as biology, chemistry,
physics, engineering, computers, and
information technology to develop
tools and products.
Biotechnology changes genes of
organisms for specific purposes.

What are some common

examples of biotechnology
use?
Pollution-eating
microbes (oil spills)
Laundry detergents
and dish soaps
DNA finger-printing
Bio-pesticides for
crops
Vaccines for illnesses
and diseases
Genetically Modified
Foods like cheese
These are just to
name a few!

So... How Can or Does

Biotechnology Affect us as
Individuals?

What does it mean?

Biotechnology affects our
everyday lives!

It provides medicine,
and can detect and
treat diseases
Diabetes, sickle-cell
anemia, antibiotics,
etc.

It has and continues

to change what we
are able to eat
Baking bread,
making cheese, etc.

SAMPLE: Biotechnology
Scientists have of Corn

successfully been able

to change the genes of
corn for more desirable
traits
Biotech (Bt) corn may
be insect protected (no
need for pesticides),
herbicide-resistant, or
both
Another type of corn is
able to grow in times of
drought (no or low rain
seasons)
As well, corn has been
engineered to contain
more healthy
ingredients

How does corn affect us as

individuals?
PROS

CONS

Many products we rely

on contain a corn base
(high fructose corn
syrup) such as fast
food, batteries, candy,
pop, cereal, etc.
Genetically modified
corn adding nutrition
and medicines both
increase quality of, and
help to prolong, human
life especially in third
world countries

High fructose corn syrup,

made from corn, is linked
to diabetes in kids and
other health risks
For those who have or
may develop an allergy
for corn or corn products,
will have a very short list
of foods they can eat!
Some genetically modified
corn have led to signs of
organ damage in rats...

How can or does

biotechnology affect our
society?

What
does it
mean?

It changes
the quality
of life in
our world!

Pros
Industrial Biotechnology can
help generate a new greener
economy with countless new
jobs.
May solve world food shortage
(agriculture and livestock)
Helps with discovery of new
medicines
Solving crimes with DNA and
forensic testing
Cons
There are safety and ethical
debates
How far do we draw the line?
Perfect babies and cloning
Accidental immunity of pests,
weeds, viruses, and bacteria
Engineering even more foods
Biological warfare

How does corn affect our

society?
When compared to
original unchanged
corn, the amount of
biotech corn being
able to be produced is
much higher.
This is important for
farming economies,
like Canada, which
therefore is able to
feed more people
while also requiring
less work and time
overall.

How does biotechnology

affect the environment?

What does that mean?

Public Environment
We will have the ability
to find ways to use our
garbage to create new
needed products.
Agricultural
biotechnology will help
us to use our lands
more efficiently (no
loss of crops and
money)

Natural/Physical
Environment

By 2030, the WWF

estimates that
biotechnology has the
potential to save the
planet up to 2.5 billion
tons of CO2 emissions
per year.
Biotechnology will aid in
the removal of pollution
from our soils, water,
and air

Advantages of
Biotechnology
Are all of these biotechnology solutions
safe?
As we move towards a greener
society, biotechnology is the leading
force to help us solve problems that
we, as humans, were responsible for
creating.
We are able to understand the world
that we live in on a microscopic level.

Why or How is Corn

Biotechnology Good?
http://www.youtube.co
m/watch?v=-lI9zrDGX1o
Corn production bills
from FOOD INC.
May solve declining oil
issue and provide us
with new energy form
Third world countries
especially prone to
insect infestation,
nutrition deficits, and
drought no longer have
to worry

Disadvantages to
Biotechnology
Are we planting new problems that
may haunt us in the future?
Unknown/unintended harm to
environment
Food Labelling and consumer choice
Dependency
Cost

Why or How is Corn

Biotechnology Bad?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=3q5tjKU-Ixs&feature=related
Insects may become immune to pesttolerant Bt corn and become more
harmful (already seen in mosquitoes)
as well as creating `superweeds`

References
Biotechnology Institute, 2005, What is
Biotechnology
<http://www.biotechinstitute.org/what_is/>
Monsanto Company, 2001, Biotech Basics
<http://www.biotechknowledge.com/biotech
/bbasics.nsf/biotech01_corn.html?
OpenPage>
Gewin, Virginia. Genetically Modified Corn
Environmental Benefits and Risks October
13, 2008. Public Library of Science
<http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/P
MC212689/>