Definition
of Biotechnology
In the National Biotechnology Policy, biotechnology is
described as an enabling tool for advances in agriculture,
healthcare and industry providing for immense benefits
to the nation, particularly in building skills, value-added
employment and improving the quality of a wide range of
products and services.
Biotechnology can be defined in at least two ways.
It can mean any technique which uses living organisms
to make or modify products, improve plant or animal
productivity or to develop microorganisms for specific
use. The definition encompasses new biological tools.
A second and narrower definition refers to new ‘high-end’
biotechnology, involving recombinant deoxyribonucleic
acid (DNA), cell fusion and novel bio-process engineering
techniques such as gene transfer and embryo manipulation.
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