Biotechnology and Medical Technology
THMS TSA Cyberspace Pursuit Entry - Home |
|
Welcome to our site! |
This is the Thomas Harrison Middle School Technology Student Association Cyberspace Pursuit Entry. Biotechnology and Medical Technology, two very important modern technological fields, are the topics we have focused on. They are such intriguing areas that we had trouble deciding just what information to include, but we finally did. I hope you have fun reading our site, and learn something new. |
Biotechnology can be defined as "[t]he application of science and engineering to the direct or indirect use of living organisms, or parts or products of living organisms, in their natural or modified forms."(www.i-bio.gov.uk) In other words, biotechnology is when all or part of a living organism is directly or indirectly used to create or discover something new. It is a tremendously huge area of study encompassing everything from cloning to beer-brewing. Some of the more well-known applications are mapping the human genome, creating genetically modified foods, using stem cells in medicine, creating antibiotics, or learning more about our DNA. Some of the products or ideas of the biotechnology industry may sound like science fiction, but they are being used every day to improve the quality of life. From modified foods to lifesaving medicines, evidence of biotechnology may be found anywhere. However, many actions of the industry have met with severe opposition. The use of cloning or embryo stem cells, not to mention genetic manipulation, create severe ethical and moral dilemmas. What is decided in the next few years may well decide the future of biotechnology and science in general. |
What is Biotechnology? |
What is Medical Technology? | In its simplest form, medical technology is any technology or equipment used to treat or detect diseases. Medical technology, also known as clinical laboratory science, is a branch of healthcare consisting of ". . .skilled scientists who develop, perform and evaluate the kinds of tests that would confirm a case of diabetes, verify a potentially dangerous drug level, monitor the level of anti-rejection drugs in transplant patients, determine compatibility for organ donation, detect cases of cancer or leukemia, identify the causative microorganism in a blood or wound infection, or detect a cancerous tumor with DNA techniques." (http://www.unmc.edu) Medical technology is often the practical application of discoveries made by biotechnologists. However, technology is also developed independently of biotechnology and without using living organisms. This is a branch of science which affects everybody. Almost everyone knows somebody who has had to stay in the hospital for treatment. Chances are that medical technology saved their life or eased their pain. |
THMS TSA is a chapter of the Technology Student Association, a nationwide nonprofit dedicated to helping encourage and foster an interest in technology in the nation's young people. This website is an entry in a nationwide competition, and was created by a five-person team of middle schoolers. Our elite team has three eighth-graders and two seventh-graders, who are all insanely skilled and chosen for their amazing talent. Or so we tell ourselves. Thank you very much for visiting our website! One last note - due to formatting issues, the pages on this site appear differently depending on the browser you are using, and only show up properly on a 800x600 screen. (Sorry - we haven't quite worked out all the bugs) |
About Us |
