What is Biotechnology?
Biotechnology is using living bodies to change human environment and health. Biotechnology dates back till the Neolithic Revolution, when humans started to cultivate their own crops. There are four types of biotechnology labels that correspond to prominent industries: red biotechnology (medicine), green biotechnology (agriculture), white technology (processes of industry), blue biotechnology (marine). An interesting Biotech artist is Hunter O’Reilly. His Anthrax Clock shows a woman on a clock that turns from happy to dying as increasing spores of anthrax are layed over the time period. He also shows an artwork called “A Clone is Not a Copy,” which shows a cat and it’s clone and how their fur patterns are not the same. O’Reilly’s work shows how more recent biotechnology works. I find his artwork very interesting because it explains how biotechnology can be both positive and negative.
What midterm presentations most interested you?
I really loved that our midterm was a power point instead of a boring test. Instead of dozing off while answering dozens of multiple choice questions or writing a really dull essay, this midterm project kept me awake and entertained. One project that really caught my eye is the idea of creating human transformers. The thought that our bodies can be made into machines that can change form is fascinating. I have watched movies that have featured that and always thought that it would be awesome if it were real. Another project I liked was the creation of limbs that could be connected with neurotransmitters for people who have had to have parts of their bodies amputated. I think that if we can create those kind of limbs, the next step will be creating regenerating body parts. I looked up bionic body parts, and while researching, I found a website that talked about how two starfish can be created through splitting one starfish in half because they can regenerate. Now that kind of ability for humans might not be possible for decades, if at all, but if it ever becomes possible, that would be incredible.
Links:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biotechnology
http://www.accessexcellence.org/RC/AB/BC/what_is_biotechnology.html
http://bio.org/speeches/pubs/er/timeline.asp
http://www.genomenewsnetwork.org/articles/08_02/art_hunter.shtml
