How is agricultural biotechnology defined

How is agricultural biotechnology defined?

The use of yeast to make bread is an example of traditional biotechnology Source: GreenFacts Biotechnology can be described as any technology that uses living organisms to make or modify a product for a practical purpose. Some traditional techniques have been used for thousands of years. Natural yeasts, for instance, have been used to make bread, beer, and wine through a process called fermentation.

In the last century, more sophisticated techniques have used other micro-organisms to make antibiotics, amino acids, vitamins, and other useful products. Modern biotechnology, developed during the past 30 years, usually makes changes to the hereditary material of a living organism by a technique called genetic engineering or genetic modification.

Modern biotechnology is currently used industrially to make useful products such as vaccines, antibiotics, enzymes, and hormones such as insulin.

In crop plant breeding, biotechnologies are used to develop plants resistant to pests, diseases, drought, heat, or cold, as well as to improve the nutritional content of plant food.