First understanding of living things
What are living things
Nature is composed of living and non-living matter and energy. Organisms with living characteristics are called living things, and inanimate ones including matter and energy are called non-living things.
There are approximately more than 300,000 species of plants and more than 1.5 million species of animals on the earth. There are only one tenth of the animals that existed on the earth today. A variety of organisms not only maintain the sustainable development of nature, but are also the basic conditions for human survival and development.
However, it is very difficult to give a scientific definition of "life". There is still no definition of life accepted by most scientists. However, from the intricate life phenomena, we can still find some unique characteristics of biology, that is, the basic characteristics of life: ① Except for viruses, all are composed of cells and cell products; ② Life shows rigorous structure and a high degree of Orderly; ③ Has metabolism; ④ Has stress resistance and adaptability; ⑤ Has the characteristics of growth, development, and reproduction; ⑥ Has the characteristics of inheritance and variation
Metabolism is the most essential thing for living things and non-living things. The difference
Note: Metabolism is the general term for all ordered chemical reactions in living organisms.
All organisms with the same genetic information (ignoring minor differences between organisms) are considered to be of the same type (species). For example, all humans can be considered the same type of creature.
Biology in a narrow sense
Biology refers to living entities that can survive independently. Including animals, plants, microorganisms, etc.
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Basic characteristics
Have the same material basis and structural basis
Material basis:
Substance composition: refers to elements and compounds.
Protein (1) compounds are mainly proteins and nucleic acids. Proteins are the main carriers of life activities, and nucleic acids are the carriers of genetic information (the genetic material of prions is protein). They are all life activities. important polymer substance.
(2) Elements are divided into macroelements and trace elements. The macroelements include C, H, O, N, P, S, K, Ca, Mg, etc., which play a large role in life activities. effect; while trace elements have the characteristics of small amounts and large effects.
Structural basis:
They are all composed of cells (except for viruses, other organisms are composed of cells).
All living things have metabolism
The process of continuous exchange of matter and energy between the living body and the outside world is called metabolism. Metabolism is the most basic characteristic of life phenomena. Metabolism is a process in which living organisms constantly renew themselves. If metabolism stops, life will end.
Viruses are also classified as living things because they can metabolize and reproduce, but they cannot do so independently (they need to rely on living cells).
Biological things can respond to external stimuli
The reaction of lower animals is called stress; the reaction of advanced animals is called "reflex". Viruses have no cellular structure, cannot live independently (specialize in parasitism within living cells), have no enzyme system, energy supply system, and no raw materials required to synthesize new substances. It can be said that the virus has no stress at all.
Biological things can grow, reproduce and develop
Viruses Viruses are living things because they have the characteristics of growth, reproduction and development (but they cannot do it independently and need to rely on host cells) .
Organisms have the characteristics of inheritance and variation
Heredity is the basis for species stability, and variation is the raw material for evolution.
Organisms can adapt to the environment and change the environment
For example, the dead leaf butterfly disguises itself as a dead leaf to avoid natural enemies; the paramecium seeks advantages and avoids harm.
Things that change the environment include human development and utilization of nature; decomposers decompose animal and plant corpses and return some substances to the soil or atmosphere.
Characteristics of living things (personal opinion)
1. Living things do not necessarily need the rules and regulations, metabolism, etc. mentioned above. For example, no one would say that an unfertilized egg is a non-living substance, just like a stone. Under no circumstances can this egg give rise to new life because it is not fertilized. But it always belongs to the conceptual category of biology.
The lotus seeds unearthed in Mawangdui have not shown biological characteristics for more than 2,000 years. Once they are planted in a suitable pond, they can still take root, bloom and bear fruit. During these 2,000 years, if you say it has no biological characteristics, it will Not a living thing anymore? No, it's still a living thing. Therefore, it is necessary for us to revise our current concepts of biology. To understand the results of this correction, please see the Baidu entry: Dual Lives.
2. No biological individual on the earth is a single life form. A person seems to be single, with independent behavior and thinking, but there are many other biological individuals or groups inside and outside his body at the same time: such as Chlamydia trachomatis in the eyes and E. coli in the intestines. There are many such creatures existing in everyone's body. Some biological individuals can also change certain behaviors of the human body and even affect people's psychological processes. Although there is no evidence of genetic effects, in the evolution of many animals, I estimate that these Tiny creatures must have played a role to some extent. We call a single individual a "biological subject", we call all the organisms existing in the biological subject a "biological branch", and we call this mixture a "biological hybrid". The human body is a biological mixture, and the roundworms that parasitize in the human intestine are also a biological mixture. There are many bacteria and viruses in its body at the same time. There are also certain viruses in the body of Salmonella, and these viruses may also be present in the body. Certain bacteriophages exist. Therefore, a biological hybrid is a very complex group of organisms.
3. The intelligence of intelligent creatures does not exist alone. Although heredity determines the level of intelligence, it will also be affected by external influences during its development. The development of intelligence is also directly restricted by the outside world. No matter how good your intelligence is, if you grew up 5,000 years ago, you still cannot build an atomic bomb. Therefore, human intelligence is a process of the spread of human history as a whole. Without our past, there would be no Our present.
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Structural basis
Cells are the basic unit of structure and function of most organisms.
Classification of cells
Prokaryotic cells Prokaryotic cells: A type of cell without a formed nucleus, and its nucleus is nucleoid. Its DNA is not bound to proteins and is coiled and folded in cells without membrane wrapping. Contains only ribosomes. Generally multiplies by fission. Mainly include: bacteria, cyanobacteria, actinomycetes, mycoplasma and chlamydia, etc.
Eukaryotic cell: A type of cell with a complete nucleus. Its DNA is combined with protein and wrapped in a membrane. Cell organelles with various specific functions. In addition to amitosis, cell proliferation also includes mitosis and meiosis (gamete formation). Mainly include: animals, plants, yeast, etc.
Archaebacteria: Sometimes also called "the third type of organisms", they were originally classified into the bacterial domain of prokaryotes, but have now been separated. They often live in extreme environments where creatures from the other two domains cannot survive. It has some characteristics of prokaryotes, such as the absence of nuclear membrane and endomembrane system; it also has characteristics of eukaryotes, such as starting protein synthesis with methionine, ribosomes being insensitive to chloramphenicol, RNA polymerase and eukaryotes. Similar to nuclear cells, DNA has introns and binds histones; in addition, it has characteristics that are different from both prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells.
The composition of cells
Eukaryotic cells Eukaryotic cells: cell membrane, formed nucleus (chromosomes, chromatin), cytoplasm, cell wall, and organelles (containing many organelles).
Prokaryotic cells: cell membrane, unformed nucleus (nucleoid), organelles (containing only ribosomes)
The factory in the cell - organelles
Endoplasm Net, Golgi body (related to cell secretions in animal cells and mainly related to cell wall formation in plant cells), mitochondria, chloroplasts, lysosomes, ribosomes, plastids (chloroplasts are the chromoplasts in plastids, and Including leucoplasts), microbodies, vacuoles, cytoskeleton (microtubules, microfilaments, actin filaments) and centrosomes (only found in lower-level plant cells and animal cells, related to cell mitosis).
Microstructure and ultrastructure
Microstructure: refers to the structures that can be seen under a light microscope, such as cell membrane, nucleus, cytoplasm, and vacuoles.
Ultrastructure: refers to the cellular structure seen under an electron microscope. For example, the specific structures of organelles and nuclei such as chloroplasts, endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi complex, lysosomes, ribosomes, centrosomes, peroxisomes, and various biological membranes.
They have the same origin, are functionally related to each other, and can transform into each other.
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Material basis
Elements
A large number of elements
The large number of elements that make up cells is C , H, O, N, P, S, k, Ca, Mg, etc. Some of these elements are components of cells, and some are necessary substances to maintain normal life activities of cells. For example: C, H, O and N are all essential elements that constitute living matter, and they are all essential components of proteins. Protein is the main component of protoplasm. It can be said that without protein, there would be no life. P and S are also important components of cellular life substances. Important compounds such as nucleic acids and phospholipids contain P, which is also involved in cellular energy metabolism.
Trace elements
The trace elements that make up cells are Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, B (boron), Mo (molybdenum), etc. Although their contents are small, they are equally It is also a substance needed to maintain normal life activities and physiological functions of organisms. For example: B can promote the germination of pollen and the elongation of pollen tubes. A lack of B will cause flowers to be fruitless; Fe is an element that makes up hemoglobin. Iron deficiency can lead to malnutrition anemia.
Chemical composition
All life activities are closely related to the chemical composition of cells.
Overview The chemical composition of cells mainly refers to the various compounds that make up cells. These compounds include inorganic and organic compounds. Generally speaking, compounds containing hydrocarbons and their derivatives are called organic matter (except carbonates), such as: starch, amino acids, amino acid salts, nucleic acids, etc.; inorganic matter is mainly water, inorganic salts and gas elements. The normal order of content of various substances in living cells from least to most is: sugars and nucleic acids (accounting for 1~1.5%), inorganic salts (accounting for 1~1.5%), lipids (accounting for 1~2%), Protein (accounting for 7~10%), water (accounting for 85~90%).
Inorganic salts Inorganic salts are indispensable components for maintaining normal life activities and physiological functions of organisms. Its physiological functions are: ① an important component of certain complex compounds in cells; ② participating in and maintaining the metabolic activities of organisms; ③ maintaining the balance of organisms (osmotic pressure balance, acid-base balance, ion balance). For example, the transmission of excitement requires changes in the concentration of internal and external potassium and sodium ions on the neuron to generate action potentials.
Biopolymers Biopolymers are important substances that make up life, but the elements, atoms, and even molecules that make up them are not living systems.
Physiologically active substances Any active substances that affect human or animal physiological phenomena are collectively called physiologically active substances. For example, the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, nerve growth factor, polypeptides, polysaccharides, various active enzymes, enzymes, etc. are all physiologically active substances, and coenzymes, auxiliary machines, etc. are all components of physiologically active substances.
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Biological classification
The general classification level of living things: kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus and species.
Specific classification levels of organisms: kingdom, phylum, subphylum, superclass, class, subclass, superorder, order, suborder, superfamily, family, subfamily, genus, genus, subgenus , total species, species, subspecies.
Species are the smallest biological units. The more similar subjects there are in biology, the more similarities there are.
A domain is the highest category in biological taxonomy. As a classification system higher than the realm, it is called "Domain" or "Superkingdom". Currently, these three domains are named Bacteria, Archaea and Eukarya respectively.
Biology is composed of prokaryotes and eukaryotes, that is, animals, plants, bacteria, fungi, and viruses, which are characterized by their ability to metabolize.
Classification Composition
Plants Algae, lichen, ferns, seed plants
Animals Vertebrates, invertebrates
Microorganisms Fungi, bacteria, mycoplasma, chlamydia, rickettsiae, spirochetes, actinomycetes, viruses
The following is a biological classification that combines the main divisions:
Prokaryotes Archaea Domain Bacteria Domain Eukaryotes Domain Protists Kingdom Fungi Kingdom Plants Kingdom Animalia
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Origin Evolution
The significance of studying the origin of life
Studying the origin of life is to understand the history of the birth of life for billions of years. However, its significance goes far beyond tracing the origin. It also lies in understanding life and environment, whole and part, structure and function, micro and macro, ontogeny and By focusing on the trade-off between matter, energy and information, phylogeny can further elucidate the mechanisms of life activities such as genetic variation, growth and differentiation, replication and reproduction, metabolism, motion sensing and regulatory control, thereby understanding and elucidating the essence of life. Achieve the goal of human beings to control and transform life.
Overview
The origin of life is a major contemporary scientific issue, but it is also the most basic biological issue that is still poorly understood. Regarding the origin of life, there have been various hypotheses in history: such as the "theory of divine creation" (the theory that life is created by God or gods), the "theory of spontaneous generation" (the theory that life, especially simple life, is naturally composed of inanimate matter) occurred) etc. These hypotheses are mostly based on speculation and have been rejected by people. Judging from the research papers presented at the International Academic Conference on the Origin of Life held in recent years, contemporary hypotheses on the origin of life can be summarized into two major categories: one is the "chemical evolution theory" and the other is the "cosmic panspermia theory." The totipotency of cells is not the basis of animal cell culture; it is the theoretical basis of plant cell culture. The theoretical basis of animal cell culture is cell proliferation.
The theory of chemical evolution maintains that life originated from a series of chemical evolution processes from inorganic to organic, from simple to complex, under primitive earth conditions. The theory of cosmic panspermia believes that the first life on earth came from the outer space of the earth, and only later developed on the earth.
Chemical evolution theory
Biomolecules such as nucleic acids and proteins are the material basis of life. The key to the origin of life lies in the origin of these life materials, that is, on the primitive earth without life. , due to natural reasons, non-living substances produce a variety of organic substances and biological molecules through chemical reactions. Therefore, the issue of the origin of life is first of all the origin and early evolution of primitive organisms. The role of chemical evolution is to create a type of chemical materials that constitute universal "structural units" such as amino acids and sugars. Life substances such as nucleic acids and proteins come from the combination of these "structural units". In 1922, biochemist O'Barin was the first to put forward a testable hypothesis, believing that certain inorganic substances on the primitive earth turned into the first organic molecules under the action of energy from lightning and sunlight. . In 1953, 31 years later, American chemist Miller experimentally verified O'Barin's hypothesis for the first time. He simulated the atmospheric composition of the primitive earth, using hydrogen, methane, ammonia and water vapor, etc., and synthesized organic molecular amino acids through heating and spark discharge. Miller was followed by many experiments simulating primitive Earth conditions. Other important biomolecules that make up living organisms have been synthesized, such as purine, pyrimidine, ribose, deoxyribose, nucleosides, nucleotides, fatty acids, porphyrins, and lipids. In 1965 and 1981, my country artificially synthesized insulin and yeast alanine transfer ribonucleic acid for the first time in the world. The formation of proteins and nucleic acids is the turning point from inanimate to living. The successful artificial synthesis of the above two biomolecules has begun a new era of studying the origin of life through artificial synthesis of living substances. Generally speaking, the chemical evolution process of life includes four stages: from inorganic small molecules to organic small molecules; from organic small molecules to organic macromolecules; from organic macromolecules to form a multi-molecular system that can maintain stability and development; from multiple Molecular systems evolved into primitive life.
The theory of panspermia
In the past and now, many hypotheses belonging to the theory of panspermia have been proposed. For example, at the 10th International Conference on the Origin of Life in July 1993, Some people have suggested that "the organic matter that caused chemical reactions and led to the creation of life was undoubtedly brought by comets that collided with the earth." Others speculated that one of the comets that collided with the earth brought an "embryo of life." It passed through the universe and left it on the newly born earth, thus giving rise to life on earth. A few years ago, a space physicist and an astrophysicist also explained the origin of life on earth as: the source of life on earth may come from one or several comets that crashed into the ocean 4 billion years ago. They also believed that It is comets that provide the raw materials needed for the birth of life on earth (they call them "life-like organisms"). Although some scientists hold strong objections to such hypotheses (they believe: "Comets bring certain materials, but they are not decisive. The materials necessary for life already exist on the earth"). Although ideas such as these are still questions that need further proof, through the exploration and study of organic molecules on meteorites, comets, interstellar dust clouds, and other planets. Understanding the rules of formation and development of organic molecules and comparing them with organic molecules on Earth will provide more information for the study of the origin of life on Earth.
Gene theory
Genes come from parents and remain almost unchanged throughout life. However, due to genetic defects, some people are naturally prone to certain diseases. That is to say, people The presence of certain genotypes in the body increases the risk of developing a certain disease. Such genes are called disease susceptibility genes.
As long as we know which disease susceptibility genes are present in the human body, we can infer which diseases people are prone to suffer from. However, how do we know which disease susceptibility genes we have? This requires genetic testing.
How is genetic testing performed? Use a special sampling stick to scrape exfoliated cells from the oral mucosa of the subject. Using advanced equipment, researchers can obtain the subject's DNA samples from these exfoliated cells, and conduct DNA sequencing and SNP single-nucleus analysis on these samples. Through nucleotide polymorphism testing, you will clearly know how the genetic sequence of the subject is different from that of other people. By comparing it with the genetic samples of many types of diseases that have been discovered, you can find the presence in the DNA of the subject. Which disease susceptibility genes.
Genetic testing is not equivalent to medical diagnosis of medical diseases. Genetic testing results can tell you how high your risk is of contracting a certain disease, but it does not mean that you have already suffered from a certain disease, or that you will suffer from a certain disease in the future. You will definitely get this disease.
Through genetic testing, we can provide people with personalized health guidance services, personalized medication guidance services, and personalized physical examination guidance services. Accurate prevention can be carried out years or even decades before the disease occurs, instead of blind health care; people can effectively prevent the disease through various methods such as adjusting dietary nutrition, changing lifestyle, increasing the frequency of physical examinations, and receiving early diagnosis and treatment. to avoid environmental factors that cause disease.
Genetic testing can not only tell us in advance how high our risk of disease is, but may also clearly guide us to use medications correctly to avoid harm to us. It will change the situation of indiscriminate use of drugs, ineffective and harmful use of drugs and blind health care in traditional passive medical treatment.
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Diverse attributes
Biodiversity refers to all living things in the biosphere on the earth, namely animals, plants, microorganisms, and their genes and living environment. It contains three levels: biological diversity, genetic diversity, and ecosystem diversity.
Simply put, biological diversity represents thousands of biological species. More than half of the world's species (approximately 5 million species) live in tropical rainforests on Earth, so the biodiversity there is the richest.
Biological diversity is of high value. It can not only provide raw materials for industry, such as glue, grease, aromatic oil, fiber, etc., but also provide various special genes for humans, such as cold resistance and disease resistance. Genes make it possible to breed new varieties of plants and animals. Many wild animals and plants are also valuable medicinal materials, providing the possibility to treat difficult diseases.
With environmental pollution and destruction, such as deforestation, vegetation destruction, indiscriminate hunting, etc., biological species in the world are currently disappearing at a rate of dozens every day.
This is a huge loss of Earth's resources because once a species is lost, it can never be regenerated. Disappearing species not only deprive humans of a natural resource, but also cause the disappearance of other species through the food chain. Today, humans are calling for the protection of biological diversity and taking action.
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Biotechnology
The development of biotechnology has caused major changes to the global economy and human life. According to the definition of the National Science and Technology Council of the United States, biotechnology refers to "the use of living organisms or parts for specific purposes to manufacture or modify products, improve animals and plants, and develop into microorganisms" A set of practical mechanisms." Modern biotechnology began with the recombinant DNA technology invented by Boyer and Cohen in 1973 and the hybridoma technology in 1975. DNA recombinant technology showed that cells have the ability to replicate themselves millions of times, and its economic power gradually formed genetic engineering technology in the future, including cell engineering (such as cloning technology), enzyme engineering and fermentation engineering (such as the use of yeast, mold and lactic acid bacteria). to ferment) etc. Today, biotechnology has been widely used in agriculture, medicine, food, environmental protection, energy, marine and national defense and other fields. Its development potential is also increasing day by day, and provides solutions to the world's medical, energy, environmental protection and food issues. The solution.
The latest progress in biotechnology
In recent years, great progress has been made in the development of biotechnology. Gene isolation, amplification, recombination and somatic cell cloning technology have been achieved. The structure and co-energy of this protein have been determined. Technologies such as rapid reproduction and detoxification, tissue culture, embryo transfer, embryo cutting and monoclonal antibodies have entered the practical stage, and it is expected that the output value will exceed 100 billion US dollars by the year 2000.
Scientists have shifted from sequencing individual genes to planned and large-scale mapping of the genetic maps of important organisms such as humans and rice. More than 6,000 biotechnology research results on crops have entered field trials around the world, and insect-resistant genetically modified rice, corn, potatoes, cotton and pumpkins have been trial-grown on a large scale in the United States and Canada. The United States is planting more and more genetically modified crops, with 70 million acres of genetically modified corn and soybeans planted in 1998, up from very few a few years ago. The "super rice" developed by the International Rice Research Institute in the Philippines can be widely planted within three years. It can increase rice yields by 20%-25%. According to a recent report by the French "Tribune", the textile industry has adopted biotech cotton that uses neither chemical fertilizers nor pesticides. Since 1996, Patagonia, an American company specializing in the production of "outdoor" clothing, has used 100% cotton produced using biotechnology. Now, the United States is the world's main producer of bio-cotton, with an annual output of 2,800 tons. Following the United States is India (annual output is 930 tons), Turkey (800 tons) and Peru (650 tons).
According to the Associated Press, American scientists have used biotechnology to engineer a mouse to grow an elephant egg. This technology may help save some of the world's endangered animals in the future. Mice can be used as "factories" to create eggs from other animals, which, when fertilized, can be used to impregnate endangered animals.
The Human Genome Project was completed at the beginning of this century
The Human Genome Organization Project was completed at the beginning of this century, which will greatly promote research activities in the medical field and change the way of diagnosing and treating diseases. , which is beneficial to people’s health. Professor Carol Siracco, a research scientist at Imperial Cancer Research UK, said: "In the next 50 years, major killers could be eliminated.
Within a few decades, genetic The barcodes will take on deeper meaning once scientists learn more about the biological pathways that lead to cancer or stroke, and they will become a crystal ball for predicting the genetic barcodes in the intertwined strands of DNA. Diseases that people may develop in the future and the likelihood that people will develop these diseases
Individual identification
In recent years, human genome research has made rapid progress, and molecular biology technology has also continued. With the continuous penetration of genome research into various disciplines, the progress of these disciplines has reached unprecedented heights.
In forensic medicine, STR site and single nucleotide (SNP) site detection are the core of the second and third generation DNA analysis technologies respectively, following the RFLPs (restriction fragment length polymorphisms) VNTRs (variable number A detection technology developed from the research on tandem repeat sequence polymorphism). As the most cutting-edge criminal biotechnology, DNA analysis provides a scientific, reliable and fast method for forensic evidence examination, which makes the identification of evidence transition from individual exclusion to the level where the same identification can be made. DNA analysis can directly identify crimes, homicides, Provide accurate and reliable basis for the detection of major and difficult cases such as rape and murder cases, mutilation cases, and rape-induced pregnancy cases. With the development and application of DNA technology, the detection of DNA marker systems will become an important means and way to solve crimes. This method is very mature as a paternity test and is also recognized internationally as the best method.
Biotechnology can effectively prevent and treat many diseases
Due to the completion of the genome project and the advancement of biotechnology, cancer patients will not need to go through painful treatment processes in the future. They will use drugs based on Treatments developed through genetic screening. Genetic analysis will make it possible for doctors to assess at a molecular level whether chemotherapy kills both a patient's healthy cells and cancer cells, making it possible for them to correct it for different patients' specific conditions. Scientists are gradually unraveling the biochemical pathways underlying cancer, clogged blood vessels and Alzheimer's disease, allowing them to transplant new genes into the body to treat the disease. Many diseases that harm humans, such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, AIDS, diabetes, etc., will be effectively prevented, treated and controlled. Dozens of companies in the United States have used the "rational drug design" method to design super drugs, which closely combines biotechnology and chemistry to treat deadly diseases such as cancer, AIDS, and multiple sclerosis that cannot be cured by current drugs. Some have already entered the human trial stage. Experts predict that research in this area will provide a better understanding of genetic mechanisms, developmental mechanisms and immune mechanisms, which will not only help treat some genetic diseases, but will also be of great significance to understanding biological processes. Scientists may eventually discover ways to stop heart disease and cancer.
Humanity will fully enter the era of cloning
Cloning technology is an epoch-making scientific and technological breakthrough in the field of biotechnology. With the birth of "Dolly" the sheep cloned in the UK, it has caused a stir in the world. People attach great importance to it, and scientists believe that it indicates that "human beings will enter the era of cloning in the 21st century." Dolly successfully gave birth to her first lamb in April 1998, which showed that a sheep cloned from a mature cell could become pregnant and carry the pregnancy to term, giving birth to a healthy lamb. PPL Pharmaceuticals, which helped clone Dolly the sheep, also cloned a calf this year.
Scientists at the Roslin Institute who cloned "Dolly" said it was important for the commercialization of nuclear transfer technology that the clones could produce healthy offspring. The benefits of using cloning technology are: it can speed up the reproduction of improved livestock, which may revolutionize animal husbandry; it can cultivate batches of high-quality cattle and sheep breeds to meet people's needs; it can save endangered wildlife and maintain Ecological balance; can be used in the medical field to mass-produce many expensive drugs that people urgently need. In addition, using cloning technology, plant cells, tissues or organs can be cloned, changing the traditional agriculture of "depending on the weather" in the past. In short, at the turn of this century, the development of technology in Longxi will change the living environment of mankind and greatly benefit mankind.
Cloning technology can also bring about medical breakthroughs. The scientist who cloned Dolly the sheep says cloning babies for infertile couples will eventually happen if ethics and law allow it. Ian Wilmut, the breeder of Dolly the cloned sheep, said: "Many things in life have two sides. Now, I have no doubt that the potential benefits of this technology far outweigh the potential disadvantages. In the case of human cloning Said that this research will greatly extend human life."
Biotechnology will be combined with computer technology
The combination of biotechnology and computer technology has gradually become a new trend in the field of biotechnology. trend. Biochip computers are under development. The American company Effie Metrix announced that it has successfully made biochips using DNA, which can be used to read the surging information flow that comes with the evolution of living tissue genes. This is the link between biotechnology and computers. The result of technological fusion. Motorola, Bird Instruments, and the U.S. government's Argonne National Laboratory have announced that they have formed a partnership to mass-produce biochips.
Biochips are of broad significance to medicine and agriculture, as they can carry out thousands of biological reactions in a matter of seconds. The biochip uses "microgel" technology, in which tiny structures - as many as 10,000 in number - on a piece of glass the size of a microscope slide act as miniature test tubes. These chips work faster than conventional methods. The biochip initiative could lead to a new multi-billion dollar industry.
Biotechnology is widely used in the field of environmental protection
Scientists are also using biotechnology extensively in the field of environmental protection to curb the trend of continued environmental deterioration. The main technologies currently developed include: using biological methods to treat sewage, using microbial desulfurization to prevent air pollution, using bacterial degradation to remove pollutants, using non-polluting biopesticides to prevent crop diseases and pests, cultivating disease-resistant crops and developing practical biodegradable plastics.
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Biosecurity
Based on the possible adverse effects caused by the development of biotechnology, people have put forward the concept of biosecurity. The so-called biosecurity generally refers to the potential threats to the ecological environment and human health caused by the development and application of modern biotechnology, as well as a series of effective prevention and control measures taken against them.
Biosafety issues attracted widespread international attention in the mid-1980s. In 1985, UNEP, WHO, UNIDO and FAO jointly formed an informal ad hoc working group on biotechnology safety. , began to pay attention to biosecurity issues. Special international attention was paid to biosafety legislation after the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development was held in 1992. The two programmatic documents signed by the conference, "Agenda 21" and the "Convention on Biological Diversity", both specifically mentioned biotechnology. Security Question. Starting in 1994, the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) and the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)*** organized 10 rounds of working meetings and intergovernmental negotiations to prepare for the formulation of a comprehensive "Biosafety Protocol" , in order to formulate the first draft of the protocol as soon as possible, 4 "Ad Hoc Expert Working Group" meetings on the "Biosafety Protocol" were also held. Special meetings of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity and its "resumed meetings" were held in February 1999 and January 2000. More than 130 countries sent delegations to participate in the meetings to discuss relevant issues, among which the 15 EU countries were the most active. All ministers were present, and the US Deputy Secretary of State participated in the meeting. After many discussions and revisions, the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety to the Convention on Biological Diversity was finally opened for signature in Nairobi from May 15 to 26, 2000.