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Part I. DEFINITION OF BIOTECHNOLOGY 
A. Advances in Biotechnology 
Biotechnology refers to the use of living 
microorganisms, animal and plant cells, or their components such 
as enzymes or membranes, to transform, synthesize, degrade or 
concentrate materials. The development of biotechnology 
processes can involve genetic engineering which is a laboratory- 
scale operation in which the hereditary material of a cell is 
altered. The term has come to be applied to a variety of 
molecular and cellular techniques such as cell fusion or 
hybridization, transformation, chromosome-mediated gene 
transfer, and rDNA. 
Recombinant DNA, or gene splicing, refers to just one, 
albeit the most powerful, method of altering the hereditary 
characteristics of a cell. Genetic engineering alters a cell so 
that it can produce more or different chemicals or perform 
better or new functions. Genetic engineering is, therefore, a 
research technique of great value in the development of new 
substances for scientific exploration, new products for 
therapeutic and diagnostic purposes, and improved microorganisms 
for industrial processes. 
The production of proteins by rDNA technology using 
microorganisms has become an accepted procedure. A long list of 
proteins including vaccines, hormones, clotting factors, 
enzymes, bioactive peptides, immunomodulators , etc., has been 
mentioned and more are constantly added to the list. Future 
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