Biotechnology is big news. And when we learn of the latest discoveries, we view them with much the same wonderment as those before us who clicked on the first electric light or took a maiden spin in the horseless carriage. Biotechnology, say experts, is the new scientific frontier. These questions need to be considered, acknowledges Vivian Lee Ward, program director of Access Excellence, an interactive Web site for biology teachers funded by the biotechnology company Genentech.
Students have to be able to use science and know what it means in terms of their world.
Humans have been making practical use of living organisms for a very long time. In a report published on their Web site, the UCS writes that an example of traditional biotechnology is selective breeding of plants and animals. Using the fermentation of microorganisms to produce beer, wine, and cheese is another example of traditional biotechnology. Modern biotechnology includes genetic engineering and cloning. Instead, a whole nucleus containing a complete set of genetic information is transferred from one cell into an egg from which the nucleus has been removed.