Microorganisms & Biotechnology
- Biotechnology harnesses the processes in living organisms to
- produce useful products, such as foods and medicines
- carry out useful services, such as sewage treatment, composting and bioremediation
- Microorganisms are the most useful group of organisms that carry out biotechnological processes because they
- Have simple growth requirements
- Their food is cheap and readily available
- They occupy very little space
- Reproduce quickly and have short life cycles
- Do not have non-productive tissues and organs
- Can be grown on an industrial scale to perform duties useful to large numbers of the human population
- Have simple growth requirements
- Because of this, there are many economic advantages gained from using microorganisms in biotechnology
Emerging uses of biotechnology
- Research on biotechnology has identified possible roles in these emerging processes
- Production of biofuels (to replace the use of fossil fuels)
- Production of vaccines and antibodies for the treatment of disease
- Production of hardy crop plants that can grow in arid conditions
- Counteracting threats from bioterrorism or bio-warfare
