HISTORY AND NATURE

OF
BIOTECHNIQUES
 BIOTECHNIQUES
• Refers to the principles in the preparation, development,
and improvisation of biological specimens and
instruments for field and laboratory activities.
 BIOTECHNIQUES VS.
BIOTECHNOLOGY
• Biotechnology- refers to any technology, process, or practice that
modifies or harnesses any living organism or system to be useful to
any human purpose.

• Biotechniques- refers to preparation, techniques, methods, or

procedures used in biological specimens inside science laboratories.
 NATURE
• Biotechniques includes experimental and computational methods,
approaches , protocols, and tools for biological research.
• It deals with the scientific treatment, exploration, investigation and
analysis of biological specimens for scientific and educational
purposes.
• Its scope ranges from simple laboratory techniques to complex
scientific procedures.
 HISTORY
• Taxidermy is probably one of the oldest form of biotechniques. It is
believed that it has been around for many centuries.
• The ancient Egyptians were famous for their mummification of dead
bodies which is somewhat a form of taxidermy.
• Taxidermy was improved during the middle ages and became very
popular during the Victorian era.
• The invention of the microscope paved way for all the scientific
research and study of cells and tissues.
• At the end of the 19th century, Wilhelm Roux, a German
experimental biologist, demonstrated the viability of
cells outside the body in physiological saline.
• In 1907, Ross Harrison, showed the outgrowth of
neurons from explanted tissue. These explant cultures
were grown in a lymph clot.
• Alexis Carrel, and his assistant Montrose Burrows
replaced the lymph clot technique with plasma clot.
They showed the growth promoting activities of a
chick embryo extract, using rigid control of sterility.
They could maintain a strain of cells for over 34
years.
• However, it was only towards the end of the 1940’s
when maniputable cell lines were established.
• Joseph Von Gerlach- thought by some to have
founded microscopical staining when, in 1858, he
successfully stained cerebellum with ammoniacal
carmine.