ASIA PACIFIC COLLEGE OF ADVANCED STUDIES

A.H. Banzon St., Ibayo, City of Balanga, Bataan

COLLEGE DEPARTMENT

GEC STS
nd
2 Semester AY 2022-2023
Week 13

Biodiversity and Healthy Society

Biodiversity - is the variability among living organisms from all sources, including terrestrial, marine, and
other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are part; this includes diversity
within species, between species, and of ecosystems.

Biodiversity is the source of the essential goods and ecological services that constitute the source of life
for all and it has direct consumptive value in food, agriculture, medicine, and in industry. (Villaggio
Globale, 2009)

Significant decline in biodiversity has direct human impact when the ecosystem in its insufficiency can no
longer provide the physical as well as social need of human beings.

Indirectly, changes in the ecosystem affect livelihood, income, and on occasion, may even cause political
conflict. (WHO, n.d.).

Taxonomy- science of naming, describing and classifying organisms and includes all plants, animals and
microorganisms of the world.

Taxonomic Rank:
The taxonomic ranks, from most inclusive to least inclusive, are as follows:

1. Domain: This is the highest taxonomic rank and includes all living organisms. There are three
domains of life: Bacteria, Archaea, and Eukarya.
2. Kingdom: This rank groups organisms based on their shared characteristics and is the first level of
classification within a domain. There are currently six kingdoms recognized: Animalia (animals),
Plantae (plants), Fungi (fungi), Protista (protists), Archaea (archaea), and Bacteria (bacteria).
3. Phylum (plural: phyla): This rank groups organisms with similar body plans and structural
characteristics.
4. Class: This rank groups organisms based on shared characteristics, such as body shape or mode of
reproduction.
5. Order: This rank groups organisms based on similarities in body structure and behavior.
6. Family: This rank groups organisms based on their genetic relationship and shared ancestry.
 7. Genus (plural: genera): This rank groups organisms based on their similarities in genetic makeup
and physical traits.
8. Species: This is the most specific taxonomic rank and refers to a group of organisms that can
interbreed and produce fertile offspring.

Changes in Biodiversity

❖ Alteration in any system could bring varied effects.

❖ A change in biodiversity could have erratic effects not only in wildlife or marine life but also in
human beings.
❖ We can clearly infer that when our ecosystem is not well taken care of, biodiversity encounters
changes that may impact human health on such a different level.

Major threats identified by United Nations’ Environment Programme (WHO, n.d.)

❖ Habitat loss and destruction

❖ Alteration in ecosystem composition.
❖ Over-exploitation
❖ Pollution and contamination
❖ Global climate change

Consequences of Biodiversity Loss

Even with the improvement of technology and science at present, we still have a lot to learn about
biodiversity, more so about the consequences of biodiversity loss. The basic concept about biodiversity
loss was from Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace.

Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace were primarily concerned with the loss of species diversity and
its impact on the natural selection process. They recognized that the extinction of species could lead to the
loss of genetic diversity, which could, in turn, reduce the adaptive capacity of ecosystems to cope with
changing environmental conditions. This could have several consequences, such as:

1. Loss of ecosystem services: Ecosystems provide a wide range of services to humans, including
food, water, and clean air. As biodiversity declines, the capacity of ecosystems to provide these
services may also decline, potentially leading to negative impacts on human health and well-being.
2. Reduced resilience: Biodiversity provides resilience to ecosystems by allowing them to adapt to
environmental changes. As species disappear, ecosystems become less resilient, and they may be
more vulnerable to sudden changes or disturbances, such as fires, floods, and disease outbreaks.
 3. Reduced productivity: Biodiversity is critical to maintaining the productivity of ecosystems. As
species disappear, the productivity of ecosystems may decline, which could have implications for
food security, agriculture, and other industries.
4. Loss of cultural and aesthetic values: Biodiversity is also important for cultural and aesthetic
reasons. The loss of iconic species, such as tigers, elephants, and whales, could have significant
cultural and aesthetic impacts on human societies.

Nutritional Impact of Biodiversity

According to the World Health Organization, biodiversity is a vital element of a human being’s nutrition
because of its influence on food production.

1. Traditional diets: Biodiversity provides the foundation for traditional diets around the world, which
often include a diverse array of foods. These diets are often rich in nutrients, and they have been shown to
promote health and prevent chronic diseases.

2. Wild foods: Many wild foods, such as fruits, nuts, and roots, are rich in essential nutrients and can
provide an important source of nutrition for people living in rural areas. However, the loss of biodiversity
can impact the availability of these foods, which can have negative nutritional consequences.

3. Crop diversity: Biodiversity is important for maintaining crop diversity, which can help to ensure a
nutritious and balanced diet. For example, a diverse range of crops can provide a range of essential
vitamins and minerals, and they can help to reduce the risk of nutrient deficiencies.

4. Animal-source foods: Many animal-source foods, such as fish, meat, and dairy products, are important
sources of protein and other essential nutrients. However, the loss of biodiversity can impact the
availability of these foods, which can have negative nutritional consequences.

5. Medicinal plants: Many medicinal plants are also important sources of nutrition. For example, some
plants are rich in antioxidants, which can help to prevent chronic diseases such as cancer and heart disease.

Environment-Related Illnesses

❖ Some human illnesses that are found to be related with its environment include Parkinson’s
disease, heart disease, cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, diabetes, obesity,
occupational injuries, dysentery, arthritis, malaria, and depression.
❖ Relationships between human health and the environment raise many ethical, social, and legal
dilemmas by forcing people to choose among competing values.

The 2010 International Year of Biodiversity

Steffen Thorsen

The United Nation (UN) declared 2010 to be the International Year of Biodiversity, the International Year
for the Rapprochement of Cultures, and the International Year of Youth.

Biological diversity, also known as biodiversity, is the term given to the variety of life on earth and the
natural patterns it forms. This diversity is often understood in terms of the variety of plants, animals and
microorganisms. About 1.75 million species are identified, mostly small creatures such as insects. Some
scientists believe that there are actually about 13 million species , though estimates range from three to
100 million.

The loss of biodiversity threatens food supplies, opportunities for recreation and tourism, and sources of
wood, medicines, and energy. It also interferes with essential ecological functions. On December 20, 2006,
the UN General Assembly declared 2010 as the International Year of Biodiversity. It designated the
secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity as the event’s focal point. The assembly also invited
the secretariat to work with other UN bodies, environmental agreements, and organizations to bring
greater international attention to the continued loss of biodiversity.

The International Year of Biodiversity focuses on boosting awareness of biodiversity’s importance by

promoting actions to foster biodiversity worldwide. Various partners have committed to actively
participating in or organizing activities and projects for this year-long event.

BIOTECHNOLOGY

The Biodiversity International has released a module titled “Law and Policy of relevance to the
management of plant genetic resources” (Bragdon et al., 2005) which aims to help professionals in
managing, conserving, and using plant genetic resources for food and agriculture. The module provides
the following.

1. Biotechnology uses biological systems, living organisms or derivatives thereof, to make or modify
products or processes for a specific use.
2. Genetic engineering is a technique that allows genes and DNA to be transferred from one source to
another. It leads to the production of living modified organisms (LMO’s) or genetically modified
organisms (GMO’s)
3. Modern biotechnology gives scientists molecular tools for obtaining a better understanding of the
structure and function of genes in living organisms.

GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISMS

❖ The characteristics of an organism and its successors can be modified today by modern technology,
giving rise to what are called genetically modified organisms or GMOs (Mayr, 2001).
 ❖ A GMO is a plant, animal, microorganisms, or other organism whose genetic makeup has been
modified using recombinant DNA methods (also called gene splicing), gene modification, or
transgenic technology.

GENETIC MODIFICATION

❖ The information about the microbe and its reproduction mechanism are contained in its gene
structure. The first step in the process is the identification of the desired trait from another
organism. A gene containing this trait is first isolated and replicated. Next, the insertion of the trait
happens. After the successful insertion, the modified organism should be able to grow and
replicate.
❖ In the process of recombinant DNA technology, the needed information for an organism can be
“borrowed” from another. Such a process means that a farmer can “design” an organism to have
the characteristics necessary to address particular issues.
❖ Genetic modification aims to address issues with regard to food security, agriculture, drug
production, and nutrition.

PRODUCTION OF GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISMS

❖ Genetic modification involves the insertion or deletion of genes.

❖ When genes are inserted, they usually come from a different species, which is a form of horizontal
gene transfer.
❖ In nature this can occur when exogenous DNA penetrates the cell membrane for any reason.
❖ Agrobacterium ability to transfer genetic material to plants, or the ability of lentiviruses to transfer
genes to animal cells are natural examples of gene transfer.

TRANSGENIC PLANTS

❖ Transgenic plants have been engineered for scientific research, to create new colors in flowers, and
to create improved crops.

GM CROPS

❖ In agriculture, genetically engineered crops are created to possess several desirable traits, such as
resistance to pests, herbicides, or harsh environmental conditions, improved product shelf life,
increased nutritional value, or production of valuable goods such as drugs (pharming).

MICROBES
 ❖ These organisms are now used for several purposes, and are particularly important in producing
large amounts of pure human proteins for use in medicine.
❖ Similar bacteria have been used to produce clotting factors to treat hemophilia, and human growth
hormone to treat various forms of dwarfism.

MAMMALS

❖ Ralph L. Brinster and Richard Palmiter developed the techniques responsible for transgenic mice,
rats, rabbits, sheep, and pigs in the early 1980s.

INTENDED PURPOSE FOR THE GENETIC MODIFICATION OF MAMMALS

❖ To research human diseases

❖ To produce industrial or consumer products
❖ To produce products intended for human therapeutic use
❖ To enrich or enhance the animals' interactions with humans
❖ To enhance production or food quality traits
❖ To improve animal health

PROS OF GENETIC ENGINEERING

❖ Production of Human Insulin:

❖ Use in Gene Therapy:
❖ Usage in Agriculture:

CONS OF GENETIC ENGINEERING

❖ Main argument made against the activity of genetic modification is that it leads to unpredictable
outcomes or side effects.
❖ Genetic modification is considered to be unnatural and doesn't fit in the context of natural ways
like breeding/crossing the plants and animals for bringing out the best in them.
❖ Thus, the possibility of unpredictable alterations taking place in the genetic make-up of organisms
is one of the biggest causes of worries among scientists regarding the whole issue of genetic
modification.
References:
a. Science, Technology and Society Book by Edward Quinto and Aileen Nieve
b. https://www.slideshare.net/tanvisuhani/genetically-modified-organisms-26196710
c. Source Everding, G (20 16 Genetically modified Golden Rice lalls short en lifesaving promises
The Source by Washington University in St. Louis. Available from https /source
wust.edu/2016/06/geneticallr modified golden-rice-alle-shot-lifesaving-promises