8. Cell Biology and Biotechnology

Correct: Changes in genes of the cells are brought about in genetic technique.

Non-genetic techniques use whole cells or tissues without changing genes, for example tissue culture and hybrid seed production.

Correct: Gene from Bacillus thuringiensis is introduced into cotton (Bt cotton) and brinjal (Bt brinjal).

1. Crop biotechnology: hybrid seeds and genetically modified crops like Bt cotton, Bt brinjal and golden rice; biofertilizers like Rhizobium, Azotobacter and Azolla.
2. Animal husbandry: artificial insemination and embryo transfer increase the quantity and quality of milk, meat and wool.
3. Human health: early diagnosis of diseases, and production of insulin, vaccines, interferon and hormones. Gene therapy and cloning are other uses.
4. Industrial products (white biotechnology): cheaper production of chemicals, for example alcohol from molasses using transgenic yeast.
5. Environment: treatment of sewage and solid waste, and bioremediation.
6. Food biotechnology: bread, cheese, yoghurt and vinegar.
7. DNA fingerprinting: identifying criminals and establishing the father of a child.

• India has a great tradition of Ayurveda, which cures diseases with the help of plants.
• Medicinal plants contain active ingredients used in medicines. Examples: adulsa (vasicine) for cough, neem as an antiseptic, tulsi for cold.
• Herbal medicines usually have fewer side effects.
• These plants were once collected from forests, but they are becoming rare as forests shrink. Cultivating them conserves the plants.
• Cultivation also gives farmers a good income.

Curd, yoghurt, cheese, butter, bread, vinegar, soya sauce, detergents with enzymes, antibiotics, vaccines, insulin (for diabetic patients), clothes made from Bt cotton, and fruits from tissue-culture plants like banana.

• Wear a mask, gloves, goggles and full clothes.
• Spray in the direction of the wind, not against it.
• Use only the recommended quantity of pesticide.
• Do not eat, drink or smoke while spraying. Wash hands and take a bath afterwards.
• Keep children and animals away. Store pesticides safely and dispose of empty containers properly.
• Do not spray just before harvesting.

• Organs like the heart, kidneys, liver, lungs and eyes do vital work in the body.
• If they fail because of ageing, accidents, infections or disorders, life becomes difficult or even ends.
• These organs cannot be made artificially in factories. They can be obtained only by donation, and organs like the heart, liver and eyes can be donated only after death.
• One donor can save or improve the lives of many people.

Hence these organs are the most valuable.

• Fruits are perishable and spoil quickly.
• Processing (cold storage, drying, salting, airtight packing, making jam, juice or murabba) preserves them for a long time.
• Seasonal fruits become available throughout the year.
• Wastage of fruits is reduced and farmers get better prices.
• Fruit processing industries create employment.

• A vaccine is an ‘antigen’-containing material given to get permanent or temporary immunity against a specific pathogen or disease.
• Giving a vaccine to develop this immunity is called vaccination.
• Earlier, killed or weakened pathogens were used as vaccines. Now, with biotechnology, pure antigen proteins are made from the pathogen’s gene, so vaccines are safer.
• Examples: vaccines for polio and hepatitis.

Usefulness:

• Higher crop yield from the same land; varieties resistant to diseases and stress.
• Improved milk, meat and wool through animal husbandry.
• Insulin, vaccines, interferon and hormones are made cheaply and safely.
• Early diagnosis of diseases, gene therapy and stem cell therapy.
• Pollution control by bioremediation, and cleaning of oil spills.
• DNA fingerprinting helps in forensic science.

Harmfulness:

• The long-term effects of GM crops on health and the environment are not fully known.
• Genes from GM crops may spread to wild plants, and local varieties may be lost, reducing biodiversity.
• Farmers become dependent on costly seeds from companies.
• Cloning, especially human cloning, raises serious ethical questions.
• The technology could be misused, for example to make harmful microbes (bio-weapons).

Conclusion: Biotechnology is very useful for human welfare, but it must be used carefully, with proper laws and safety checks.

Points for your report:

1. Name and location of the project.
2. Type of manure produced (compost, vermicompost, oil cake, biogas slurry).
3. Raw materials used and how they are collected.
4. Steps of the process and the microbes or earthworms involved.
5. Time taken and quantity produced.
6. Benefits to farmers and the soil compared with chemical fertilizers.

• Organize a rally with posters and slogans on organ and body donation.
• Invite a doctor to give a talk in school and at the gram panchayat or society meeting.
• Distribute pamphlets explaining which organs can be donated and how to register as a donor.
• Clear myths using correct information, for example about brain death and the Transplantation of Human Organs Act, 1994.
• Encourage adults in the family to fill the donor pledge form and tell their families about their wish.
• Share stories of people whose lives were saved by organ donation, including on social media.

A green corridor is a special route cleared of traffic by the police, so that an ambulance carrying a donated organ reaches the hospital in the shortest time. Organs like the heart must be transplanted within a few hours, so every minute is important.