1.7
IMPACT OP BIOLOGICAL STUDIES ON HUMAN WELFARE
Biology has made an enormous impact on human welfare by improving quality of life. It also helped in increasing food production and to improve health. New discoveries in the field of biology are bringing revolution in medicine, public health, agriculture, dentistry, veterinary medicine, animal husbandry, land-scape, horticulture, pest control and other related fields.
1.7.1 Production of food:
Production of various kind of food especially crops like wheat, maize, rice and barely is very active field of biology. Man grew different vegetables and fruits to supplement his diet. With the advancement of biological techniques man has not only improved the quality and yield of the existing varieties but also produced many new varieties of crops. These successes have been achieved due to biological researches in the fields of pest control, genetics and biotechnology. Man also improved the quality and quantity of food products by developing dairy farming, poultry farming, kettle farming etc, and wheat, rice, maize and other plants. This helped to overcome the problem of food shortage. Incidence of famine has declined and economic conditions for mankind have improved.
1.7.2 Improvement of health:
In the field of health, the discovery and development of new medicines, vaccines and diagnostic medical equipment has been very helpful to man kind. This is only possible due to research in biology. The discovery and development of antibiotics by biologist has played a vital role in improving our general health conditions. Many fatal and epidemic diseases such as smallpox, tetanus, diphtheria etc. can be easily controlled because of" development of vaccines against these diseases. This has resulted in a great reduction in infant mortality. Every day new drugs are constantly being developed by biologists to fight against the pathogenic organism enabling to solve the health problems of mankind.
1.7.3 Improvement of environment:
During the past few decades, rapid industrialization has resulted in pollution of surroundings including air, land and water sources. As a result of this pollution not only human beings but also animal and plant life is exposed to all kinds of harmful effects. It is through biological research that we are finding out ways and means to overcome and at last eliminate the pollutants, for providing and maintaining healthy environment.
1.7.4 Genetic engineering:
A new methodology referred to as recombinant DNA technology or genetic engineering has been developed. It is technique in which alteration of gene, DNA of an organism is carried out to seek benefit for mankind. It provides a way by which mammalian proteins can be produced in bacterial cells. Genes controlling the synthesis of important drugs and hormones can be taken from the organisms in which they occur naturally and placed in bacterium or other type of organism, from which the product can be recovered conveniently and in large quantities. Most noteworthy achievement is insulin production by adding human gene in bacterial DNA which is helping to produce human insulin (Humalin) from bacteria on commercial basis. This is very useful for treating diabetes. This is one example along with many others like cloning, tissue culture etc, where genetic engineering is being used.
Many inheritable diseases can now be diagnosed in a developing child before birth. Recent research has led to the hope that cystic fibrosis (hereditary disease of human being in which affected individual secrete thick mucus that clogs the air ways of lungs / liver / pancreas) and other hereditary disease will soon be treatable.
Although there are many side effects of these technologies yet no one of us wishes to go back to the days in which large number of people died of epidemic diseases. As science has conquered one disease after another, the world's death rate has fallen and the human population has exploded. Few of us are willing to give up technology's gift of private automobile, though we are concerned about the amount of air pollution that automobile generate.
Biology has made an enormous impact on human welfare by improving quality of life. It also helped in increasing food production and to improve health. New discoveries in the field of biology are bringing revolution in medicine, public health, agriculture, dentistry, veterinary medicine, animal husbandry, land-scape, horticulture, pest control and other related fields.
1.7.1 Production of food:
Production of various kind of food especially crops like wheat, maize, rice and barely is very active field of biology. Man grew different vegetables and fruits to supplement his diet. With the advancement of biological techniques man has not only improved the quality and yield of the existing varieties but also produced many new varieties of crops. These successes have been achieved due to biological researches in the fields of pest control, genetics and biotechnology. Man also improved the quality and quantity of food products by developing dairy farming, poultry farming, kettle farming etc, and wheat, rice, maize and other plants. This helped to overcome the problem of food shortage. Incidence of famine has declined and economic conditions for mankind have improved.
1.7.2 Improvement of health:
In the field of health, the discovery and development of new medicines, vaccines and diagnostic medical equipment has been very helpful to man kind. This is only possible due to research in biology. The discovery and development of antibiotics by biologist has played a vital role in improving our general health conditions. Many fatal and epidemic diseases such as smallpox, tetanus, diphtheria etc. can be easily controlled because of" development of vaccines against these diseases. This has resulted in a great reduction in infant mortality. Every day new drugs are constantly being developed by biologists to fight against the pathogenic organism enabling to solve the health problems of mankind.
1.7.3 Improvement of environment:
During the past few decades, rapid industrialization has resulted in pollution of surroundings including air, land and water sources. As a result of this pollution not only human beings but also animal and plant life is exposed to all kinds of harmful effects. It is through biological research that we are finding out ways and means to overcome and at last eliminate the pollutants, for providing and maintaining healthy environment.
1.7.4 Genetic engineering:
A new methodology referred to as recombinant DNA technology or genetic engineering has been developed. It is technique in which alteration of gene, DNA of an organism is carried out to seek benefit for mankind. It provides a way by which mammalian proteins can be produced in bacterial cells. Genes controlling the synthesis of important drugs and hormones can be taken from the organisms in which they occur naturally and placed in bacterium or other type of organism, from which the product can be recovered conveniently and in large quantities. Most noteworthy achievement is insulin production by adding human gene in bacterial DNA which is helping to produce human insulin (Humalin) from bacteria on commercial basis. This is very useful for treating diabetes. This is one example along with many others like cloning, tissue culture etc, where genetic engineering is being used.
Many inheritable diseases can now be diagnosed in a developing child before birth. Recent research has led to the hope that cystic fibrosis (hereditary disease of human being in which affected individual secrete thick mucus that clogs the air ways of lungs / liver / pancreas) and other hereditary disease will soon be treatable.
Although there are many side effects of these technologies yet no one of us wishes to go back to the days in which large number of people died of epidemic diseases. As science has conquered one disease after another, the world's death rate has fallen and the human population has exploded. Few of us are willing to give up technology's gift of private automobile, though we are concerned about the amount of air pollution that automobile generate.
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