What Are The Applications Of Biology For The Welfare Of Mankind?

The science of biology has been helping mankind in much way in increasing food production; in combating diseases and in protecting and conserving environment. Biological advances in the field of food and health have resulted in high standard of living.

Plant production has been tremendously increased by improving existing varieties and developing new high-yield and disease — resistant varieties of plants and animals used as food. Plant and animal breeders have developed, through selective breeding, using the principles of genetics, new better varieties of wheat, rice, corn, chicken, cow and sheep. Poultry breeders have developed broilers for getting quick and cheap white meat. Genes for disease resistance and other desirable characters are introduced into plant, using the techniques of genetic engineering. Such transgenic plants (plants having foreign DNA incorporated into their cells) can be propagated by cloning (production of genetically identical copies of organisms/cells by asexual reproduction) using Special techniques such as tissue culture techniques etc. Plant pathogenic fungi and insect pests of crops which weaken he-plants and reduce the yield had traditionally been controlled by using chemical fungicides and insecticides (pesticides). Use of these chemicals poses toxicity problems for human beings as well as environmental pollution. Moreover, there are chances of insects becoming resistant to the effect of these chemicals. Biological control (control by some living organisms) eliminates all such hazards. In biological control, pests are destroyed by using some living organisms that compete with or even eat them up. An aphid that attacks walnut tree is being controlled biologically by a wasp that parasitizes this aphid.