ADDITIONAL SCIENCE

FORM 5

CHAPTER 8: BIOTECHNOLOGY

8.1 FERMENTATION

Cells need to respire because they

need
energy to carry out processes in
our body.
Energy required by our body is in
the form of
adenosine triphosphate (ATP).

8.1 FERMENTATION
Cell
respiration
Part 1
Glucose is broken down into pyruvate
and a small amount of energy is
released
Glucose
2 molecules of
pyruvate

molecules of ATP
Part 2 (with oxygen)
- Aerobic respiration
occurs
- Produced 38 ATP
molecules per

2
Part 2 (without
oxygen)
- Anaerobic
respiration
(fermentation) occurs
- Produced 2 ATP

8.1 FERMENTATION
Fermentation

Lactic acid fermentation

- Occurs in muscles of animals

when oxygen is scarce during
strenuous exercise in which
pyruvate is broken down into lactic
acid
- Some bacteria convert lactose
into lactic acid
Pyruvate

Lactic acid

Ethanol fermentation

- Occurs in yeast
- Pyruvate is broken down into
ethanol and carbon dioxide
Pyruvate

Ethanol
Carbon dioxide

8.1 FERMENTATION

Fermentation is used in food and

pharmaceutical industry on a
Industry
Explanation
large scale.Use
Food

Bread making

Carbon dioxide released

from ethanol fermentation

Vinegar
production

Acetobacter species of
bacteria oxidises ethanol to
ethanoic acid, water and
energy

Wine production

Ethanol produced from

ethanol fermentation is used
to make wine

Yoghurt and
cheese
production

Lactic acid produced from

lactic acid
fermentation is used to

8.1 FERMENTATION
Industry

Use

Explanation

Pharmaceuti
cal

Antibiotics

Antibiotics are complex

organic material synthesised
by fungi that kill or prevent
bacterial growth. It works
by:
(i) Preventing cell wall
formation
(ii) Causing cell lysis
(iii)Inhibiting bacterial
growth

Vaccines

Vaccines are solutions that

contain weakened or dead
pathogen injected into the
body to stimulate the
immune system to produce
antibodies to fight diseases

8.1 FERMENTATION

Antibiotics kill or inhibit

bacterial growth

8.1 FERMENTATION

Yoghurt is produced through

fermentation of
milk by the action of lactic acid bacteria,
Lactobacillus bulgaricus and
Streptococcus
Pasteurised milk is first heat-treated (at 90 C for 20 minutes) to coagulate the
milk protein
thermophilus.
The milk is then homogenised, cooled and inoculated with a starter culture of 2
bacteria, Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus

The mixture is then incubated at about 46 C for up to 6 hours

The product is cooled before packaging

8.2 TISSUE CULTURE

Tissue culture is the culture of living tissue,

removed from the body in a suitable nutrient
medium with oxygen.
Tissue culture technology is based on the
theory of totipotency which means the
ability of a single cell to develop into a whole
organism.

8.2 TISSUE CULTURE

Traditionally, plants reproduce

by means of
seeds (sexual reproduction) or
organs other
than seeds (vegetative
reproduction). These
organs are usually stems, leaves
or roots.
Plants reproduced from seeds
may not have

8.2 TISSUE CULTURE

Plants that grow by vegetative reproduction

do not have disadvantages of plants that

grow
by seeds. However, these plants grow at a
slower rate and need more space. Therefore,
scientists have developed plant tissue
culture
to overcome the disadvantages of both
sexual and vegetative reproduction.

 Plantlets transferred
to soil and kept in a
controlled environment
until fully grown

Callus develops into

plantlets

Callus develops from

explant cells

Explant tissue cultured

in sterile nutrient
medium

Step
4
Step
3
Step
2
Step
1

Steps in plant tissue culture

8.2 TISSUE CULTURE

8.2 TISSUE CULTURE

Advantages of tissue culture

Disadvantages of tissue
culture

Plants can be grown in large

All plants have the same
quantities in a relatively short genetic make up, therefore
time
they are vulnerable to the
same types of pests or
diseases
Less space is needed and
conditions can be controlled

No chance of new
advantageous characteristics
arising randomly

All new plants inherit the

same desirable
characteristics, suitable for
commercial planting

No variation

New plants are uniform in

size and shape and are
genetically identical

8.2 TISSUE CULTURE

Cloning is the process of producing

organism
which is derived from a single cell of its
parent and therefore genetically
identical to it.
Two types of cloning:
(i) Natural cloning
- Happens in simpler organisms
- Example: Amoeba reproduce by binary
fission

8.2 TISSUE CULTURE

Binary
fission

8.2 TISSUE CULTURE

(ii) Artificial cloning

- Cloning an organism
- Example: Dolly, the sheep was
the first
mammal to be cloned

8.2 TISSUE CULTURE

The cloning procedures

of Dolly

8.3 GENETIC ENGINEERING

A gene is a segment of DNA

(deoxyribonucleic
acid) that codes for a specific protein,
therefore acts as the basic unit of
inheritance.
Genetic engineering is defined as the
process
of transferring gene from the DNA of an
organism into the DNA of target organism.

8.3 GENETIC ENGINEERING

A schematic diagram
of gene

8.3 GENETIC ENGINEERING

Production of insulin
- The insulin gene in
human DNA is removed
and inserted into the
DNA of bacterial cells.
Bacterial cells which
carry the human insulin
gene are cultured in
nutrient medium to
produce insulin

Production of
genetically-modified
crops
- The traits most
introduced into crops
are resistance to
herbicide, pests and
diseases

Application of
genetic
engineering

8.3 GENETIC ENGINEERING

Insulin production using genetic

engineering

8.3 GENETIC ENGINEERING

Production of genetically-modified crops using

genetic engineering

8.4 BIOTECHNOLOGY

Biotechnology is defined as the

application of
organisms or biological processes in the
manufacturing and servicing industries
to
produce valuable materials such as those
used
in medicine and food industry.

8.4 BIOTECHNOLOGY

Uses of
biotechnology

Food industry

Increase food
production and
nutritional
content of food

Medicine

Production of
antibiotics and
vaccines

Services
project

Cleaning up oil
spills using
bacteria which
breaks down oil

Agriculture
industry

Increase crop
yield and
produce crops
which are
resistant to
pests and
diseases

8.4 BIOTECHNOLOGY

Video on cleaning of oil spill using

bacteria: