Science, Technology and the Society

Act. No. ____

Name: ________________________________________________________ Date___________

Title of the Activity: Biotechnology

Introduction

At its simplest, biotechnology is technology based on biology - biotechnology harnesses cellular and
biomolecular processes to develop technologies and products that help improve our lives and the health
of our planet. We have used the biological processes of microorganisms for more than 6,000 years to
make useful food products, such as bread and cheese, and to preserve dairy products.

Learning Outcomes

At the end of the period, you should be able to:

1. Describe the application of biotechnology in our daily life;

2. Explain the process of cloning;
3. Discuss ethical issues involving Human Genome Project; and
4. Conduct independent investigation on the pros and cons of biotechnology.

Materials

Markers
Worksheet
Internet

Instructions

Answer the questions delineated in items no. 1-6 by searching the WWW or using the websites listed.
Read carefully the concepts provided and follow the protocol to answer the guide questions per
number.

Guide Questions

1. Type in the following website: http://www.argosbiotech.de/700/timelines/cloning.htm

a. When was the first cloned organism made? What was it?

b. When was Dolly cloned?

 c. Name some of the most recent animals clones that you find interesting (be sure to look
at the new millennium).

2. Type in the following website: http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/tech/cloning/ Follow the

steps provided in the click and clone activity to clone Mimi the mouse.

a. How many mice are involved and what is each mouse’s role?

b. What tools will be used to clone the Mimi?

c. In your own words, state the 6 steps to clone a mouse.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

d. What color is the new baby clone? Explain why.

3. Type in the following website:
http://www.ornl.gov/sci/techresources/Human_Genome/home.shtml

a. What is the human genome project?

b. Click on “gene testing”. List 4 genetic diseases that now have diagnostic tests.

c. Return to the Human Genome Project page. Click on “Ethical Issues”. List 2 ethical
issues involving the Human Genome Project.

4. Type in the following website: http://www.clonaid.com

a. What services does this company provide?

5. Find website for the following scenarios:

a. A 38-year-old female is 11 weeks pregnant.

A. Where can she read about prenatal diagnostic procedures?

B. How can she locate a genetic counselor?

b. A 17-year-old female’s father (age 40) has Huntington disease.

A. Where can she read about Huntington disease?

B. Where can she read about DNA carrier testing?

C. Is there a support group for Huntington’s disease?

c. A 38-year-old woman is concerned about her risk for breast cancer, which her mother
had at age 40. No other relatives are affected.

A. Where can she read about breast cancer DNA testing?

B. Where can she read about her risk and issues to consider before testing?
 6. Type in the following website: http://www.quia.com/mc/4400.html Play the genetics matching
game. How did you do?

Discussion/Summary

There are a lot of biotechnological processes being done and investigated brought about by the
advancements in science and technology. Cloning is one of it. Cloned organisms have exact genetic
copies. Every single bit of their DNA is identical. Clones can happen naturally—identical twins are just
one of many examples or they can be made in the laboratory.

Another is The Human Genome Project which was an international research effort to determine the
sequence of the human genome and identify the genes that it contains. The Project was coordinated by
the National Institutes of Health and the U.S. Department of Energy. Additional contributors included
universities across the United States and international partners in the United Kingdom, France,
Germany, Japan, and China. The Human Genome Project formally began in 1990 and was completed in
2003, 2 years ahead of its original schedule.

The work of the Human Genome Project has allowed researchers to begin to understand the blueprint
for building a person. As researchers learn more about the functions of genes and proteins, this
knowledge will have a major impact in the fields of medicine, biotechnology, and the life sciences.

References

https://www.bio.org/what-biotechnology

http://www.argosbiotech.de/info/omics/timelines/cloning01.htm

http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/

https://web.ornl.gov/sci/techresources/Human_Genome/index.shtml

http://www.clonaid.com/page.php?18

https://www.quia.com/mc/4400.html

https://study.com/academy/lesson/what-is-biotechnology-definition-history-examples.html

https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/primer/hgp/description