Biology and Biotechnology: Science, Applications, and Issues - Softcover

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Biology and Biotechnology: Science, Applications, and Issues offers an inviting exploration of biotechnology, carefully blending science, consumer applications, regulatory information, and social issues. Providing a strong basis in the fundamentals of biological science, the book focuses on the material that is needed to understand and evaluate technologies that are available to consumers. Biology and Biotechnology is largely intended for undergraduate nonmajor science courses; however, biology majors will benefit from the unique perspective. In addition, with its highly readable writing style, this new volume will intrigue members of the lay public who have little scientific background and seek to educate themselves on the burgeoning field of biotechnology. Logically organized for maximum comprehensibility, the book opens with a section covering the critical interrelationships between science, technology, and society. The next section, The Foundational Science, provides a comprehensive overview of the basic science underlying the principles of biotechnology. Chapters in this section cover cellular and molecular biology in sufficient detail to enable readers to put evolutionary and environmental issues into proper context. Numerous examples throughout this section illuminate how scientific knowledge translates into technologies that are used to solve problems both in modern medicine and in everyday settings. Important narratives document the history of specific scientific developments, illustrating both how progress is made in science and how society directly impacts science. The last section, Biotechnology Applications and Issues, utilizes the material learned in previous sections to explain biotechnology and its significant applications. Focusing first on the research laboratory, readers will gain insight into specific biotechnology techniques and precisely how they are used to gain new scientific knowledge in fields spanning from archaeology to zoology. The commercial applications of biotechnology products are also explored, detailing the use of biotechnology in medicine, food, agriculture, and the environment. Readers are introduced to specific products, the factors associated with introducing these products into the market, and the regulatory process that affects decision making about the future directions of science and technology.