Biotechnology is a comprehensive scientific and technological system based on the theory and technology of life sciences, combining various modern engineering technologies, fully utilizing the latest achievements of molecular biology, and providing commodities and social services according to the needs of mankind, which mainly includes five subfields, namely, genetic engineering, cell engineering, enzyme engineering, fermentation engineering and protein engineering.
Biotechnology can be divided into traditional biotechnology and modern biotechnology according to its development history. Traditional biotechnology refers to the traditional manufacturing sauce, vinegar, wine, bread, cheese, yogurt, kimchi and other foods of the traditional process; modern biotechnology refers to the late 1970s development of modern biology research results based on genetic engineering, especially DNA recombination as the core of the emerging disciplines. What is currently called biotechnology basically refers to modern biotechnology.
Biotechnology can be divided into two categories, genetic engineering technology and non-genetic engineering technology, according to whether or not genetic engineering technology is used. Genetic engineering includes gene analysis, gene mapping, gene fingerprinting, gene extraction, gene recombination, transgenic modification and gene bank establishment. Non-genetic engineering technologies include strain screening and mutagenesis, high-density fermentation engineering technology, space breeding, cell freezing and dormancy, in vitro cell culture, cell hybridization, embryo transplantation, in vitro fertilization and so on.
Biotechnology is categorized by industry into pharmaceutical biotechnology, industrial biotechnology, agricultural biotechnology and marine biotechnology. In each industry biotechnology is subdivided into more specialized biotechnology, such as agricultural biotechnology can be divided into feed biotechnology, food biotechnology, veterinary biotechnology, plant biotechnology, animal biotechnology and so on.