Microorganisms & Biotechnology (OCR A Level Biology): Revision Note

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

• 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