Biotechnology

Biotechnology
The fusion of biology and technology. Biotechnology is the application of biological techniques to product research and development. In particular, biotechnology involves the use by industry of recombinant DNA, cell fusion, and new bioprocessing techniques. Biotechnology is expected to become increasingly important in the 21st century.
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1. The field devoted to applying the techniques of biochemistry, cellular biology, biophysics, and molecular biology to addressing practical issues related to human beings, agriculture, and the environment. 2. The use of recombinant DNA or hybridoma technologies for production of useful molecules, or for the alteration of biologic processes to enhance some desired property.

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bio·tech·nol·o·gy -tek-'näl-ə-jē n, pl -gies
1) applied biological science (as bioengineering or recombinant DNA technology)
2) ERGONOMICS
bio·tech·no·log·i·cal -.tek-nə-'läj-i-kəl adj
bio·tech·no·log·i·cal·ly -k(ə-)lē adv
bio·tech·nol·o·gist -tek-'näl-ə-jəst n

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n.
the development of techniques for the application of biological processes to the production of materials of use in medicine and industry. For example, the production of many antibiotics relies on the activity of various fungi and bacteria. Recent techniques of genetic engineering, in which human genes are cloned in bacterial cells, have enabled the large-scale production of hormones (notably insulin), vaccines, interferon, and other useful products.

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bio·tech·nol·o·gy (bi″o-tek-nolґə-je) any application of technology that uses biological systems, organisms, or their derivatives, to create new products or processes or modify existing ones. Broadly used, the term includes processes traditional to agriculture and food production, but it may be used more narrowly to encompass only new DNA techniques, molecular biology, and reproductive technological applications, such as gene manipulation and transfer, or cloning.

Medical dictionary. 2011.

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Look at other dictionaries:

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  • biotechnology — bi o*tech*nol o*gy n. same as {bioengineering}. [PJC] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • biotechnology — biotechnology. См. биотехнология. (Источник: «Англо русский толковый словарь генетических терминов». Арефьев В.А., Лисовенко Л.А., Москва: Изд во ВНИРО, 1995 г.) …   Молекулярная биология и генетика. Толковый словарь.

  • biotechnology — also bio technology, 1947, use of machinery in relation to human needs; 1972 in sense of use of biological processes in industrial production, from BIO (Cf. bio ) + TECHNOLOGY (Cf. technology) …   Etymology dictionary

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  • biotechnology — ► NOUN ▪ the exploitation of biological processes for industrial and other purposes, especially the genetic manipulation of micro organisms for the production of antibiotics, hormones, etc. DERIVATIVES biotechnological adjective biotechnologist… …   English terms dictionary

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