Introduction to Engineering and Technology Concepts Unit Five Chapter One – Agriculture and Biotechnologies

Instructions for Success: Each chapter of every unit will begin with a “Mindjog.” This is a warm up question that you should answer in your workbook in the proper chapter. Please take notes as you move through the presentations in the notebook that has been provided. Sections will come up in each presentation with an assignment notice. Turn to the section detailed on the slide in your workbook and complete the assignment before proceeding. Good luck!

Objective Students will define agriculture and biotechnology, and how both have played a role in things we use and eat in everyday life.

Mindjog! On your worksheet, please respond to the following question: “Think about the food that you eat: the large pieces of corn, the really red tomatoes, the juicy steak. Do you think that your food has been altered in any way before coming to your table? How?”

Agriculture When you hear someone say, “agriculture,” what do you think of? Do you think of rows of corn, fields of wheat, and cows roaming the grounds? Agriculture is people using materials, information, and machines to produce food and natural fibers (Wright, 2004). Essentially, agriculture can described as “farming.”

Components of Agriculture There are three major components that are managed by people in agriculture: land, buildings and machinery, and crops and livestock (Wright, 2004). The above description seems to suggest that there are two types of agriculture: crop production and animal husbandry (Wright, 2004). Crop Production grows plants for various uses such as food, feed, and natural fibers (Wright, 2004). Animal Husbandry involves breeding, raising, and training animals for food, work, or fibers (Wright, 2004).

Crop Production Crop production can include grain, vegetables, fruits and berries, nuts, forage crops for animals, and even nonfood crops like tobacco, cotton, rubber, and Christmas Trees (Wright, 2004). The technology that goes into crop production includes: Power or pulling equipment Tillage equipment Planting equipment Pest-control equipment Irrigation equipment Harvesting equipment Transportation equipment Storage equipment (Wright, 2004).

Consider Consider that before agriculture, humans were hunters and gatherers. The way of life consisted of catching fish, gathering wild plants, and hunting game. The discovery that some animals could be tamed and that plants grow from seeds 10,000 years ago gave way to the start of agriculture (Wright, 2004). The United States uses more than 40% of its total land for farming (Wright, 2004).

Biotechnology Biotechnology and agriculture are two related studies. One aspect of biotechnology considers the practices that improve propagation, growing, and harvesting activities (Wright, 2004). More directly, biotechnology uses biological agents in processes to produce goods or services (Wright, 2004). These agents are microorganisms, enzymes, or animal and plant cells (Wright, 2004).

Biotechnology and Farms Biotechnology is being used to create, improve, or modify plants, animals, and microorganisms (Wright, 2004). The basics of biotechnology can be seen in domestic dogs – from the wild wolf, desired characteristics were bred with other dogs possessing those same characteristics to form the different breeds we have today. Farmers do this same tactic with their crops. Corn was originally very, very small and tough. Through selective breeding, we have a corn that is tasty and large in size.

Biotechnology (continued) However, selective breeding takes time to see if the desired gene, or trait, you want is showing up in the offspring. Biotechnology takes us down to the cellular level with Deoxyribonucleic acid, or DNA. DNA, which is the blueprint for any living thing, gives orders to the genes about how to look, act, and respond (Wright, 2004). Geneticists can now go into DNA and alter it to have specific characteristics (Wright, 2004).

Biotechnology (continued) Changing DNA also includes the idea of Gene Splicing, where DNA can be severed at a specific point and then spliced back together with desirable parts (Wright, 2004). Just think: taking the DNA of a firefly, that glows in the dark, and splicing it with a fish! You’d have fish that glow in the water at night! Unfortunately, this sort of thing can also cause a problem…

Controversy Some people believe that we should not change the genetic structure of living things (Wright, 2004). As an example, what if we did splice firefly and fish DNA and then introduce our glowing fish back into the ecosystem? What if it breeds and makes more glowing fish? Perhaps before we engineered it, that fish was never much of a food source for any other predator in the water. However, now that it glows, predators easily see it, attack, and now the species is becoming endangered in that area.

Assignment #1 Please turn to the section in your workbook entitled, “Unit Five, Chapter One – Agriculture and Biotechnologies.” Complete the extension questions under the “Assignment #1” header before moving onto the next section of slides.

BEFORE MOVING ON: Did you complete the “Assignment #1” Section under the “Unit Five, Chapter One – Agriculture and Biotechnologies” section of your workbook? If you have, please proceed to the next slide.

Chapter One Completed! Please close this presentation and launch the file entitled, “Chapter 2 – Medical Technologies!”

References Wright, R. (2004) “Technology” The Goodheart-Willcox Company, Inc.