Introduction to Biodiversity and Biotechnology

Gene Theory and Genetic Engineering

• Gene theory explains how traits are passed from parents to offspring, providing a framework for understanding genetics, heredity, and evolution.
• Genes are segments of DNA that contain instructions for making proteins, which are the building blocks of life.
• Genetic information flows from DNA to RNA to proteins.

DNA, RNA, and Proteins

• DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) is a double-stranded molecule containing genetic information.
• RNA (ribonucleic acid) is a single-stranded molecule that carries genetic information from DNA to proteins.
• Proteins are the building blocks of life and carry out many functions in cells and organisms.

Transcription and Translation

• Transcription is the process by which DNA is copied into RNA, occurring in the nucleus of a cell and involving the enzyme RNA polymerase.
• Translation is the process by which RNA is used to make proteins, occurring in the cytoplasm of a cell and involving ribosomes.

Biodiversity

• Biodiversity refers to the total variety of life on Earth, including genetic variability, species diversity, and ecosystem diversity.
• Taxonomy is the scientific study of naming, defining, and classifying groups of biological organisms based on shared characteristics.
• Carolus Linnaeus developed a classification scheme using morphology to group organisms into hierarchical categories.

Domains of Life

• All living things can be categorized into one of three domains: Bacteria, Archaea, and Eukarya.
• Domain Bacteria includes microscopic, unicellular prokaryotes, with some species being autotrophs and others being heterotrophs.
• Domain Archaea includes microscopic, unicellular prokaryotes, with many being extremophiles.
• Domain Eukarya includes unicellular and multicellular organisms with eukaryotic cells, including the plant, animal, fungus, and protist kingdoms.

Origin of Biodiversity

• Evolution by natural selection provides a logical explanation for how populations change over time, leading to the creation of new species.
• Charles Darwin and Alfred Wallace co-discovered the concept of evolution through natural selection.

Biodiversity and Extinction

• Change in biodiversity over time has led to the current high extinction rates, with many extinctions due to anthropogenic causes.
• The current extinction rate is higher than the background rate, with many species going extinct before they are even discovered.

Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering

• Biotechnology involves the use of living systems and organisms to develop or make products.
• Genetic engineering (genetic modification) is the direct manipulation of an organism's genome to alter its genetic makeup.
• Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) have been altered in a way that does not occur naturally by mating or natural recombination.
• Transgenes are genes that have been transferred from one organism to another using genetic engineering techniques.

History of Genetic Modification

• Humans have modified crops and animals for thousands of years using traditional breeding practices (selective breeding or artificial selection).
• Most livestock, crops, and pets were developed by genetically modifying the traits of wild species.
• Biotechnology is a broad area of biology involving the use of living systems and organisms to develop or make products.