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9.6 Option – Biotechnology: 1. Origins of biotechnology
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1. The origins of biotechnology date back at least 10
000 years
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Students learn to:
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Students: |
Extract from Biology Stage 6 Syllabus (Amended October 2002). © Board of Studies, NSW.
Prior learning: Stage 4-5 Syllabus,
4.8.4(a) and (b); 5.8.3(a).
H.S.C. module 9.3 (subsection 5)
Background: Humans have used living things throughout time. Biotechnology, defined as the application of scientific knowledge to transfer beneficial genetic traits from one species to another to enhance or protect an organism, has been part of the development of human culture. The first examples of biotechnology came through the domestication of plants and animals leading to a change in lifestyle from hunter-gatherers to settled farmers.
process information to outline an ancient Aboriginal use of biotechnology
- Process information to illustrate patterns in the development of the chosen technology. To present this draw a timetable of the known events.
The domestication of wild dingoes was not done commonly but it was done by some
groups. Dingoes were used to sniff out certain animals such as the koala when they were sleeping in the day time.There is some information on Wikipedia. 
use available
evidence to describe
the changes in a species of grain or animal as a result of
domestication and agricultural processes
Background
During domestication, livestock decreased in size from the
wild varieties to make them less likely to do harm. Plants
generally were bred to be bigger and easier to eat. Grain
became less likely to be spread by the wind and more likely
to stick closely in the heads of the plants so they could
be harvested. Wild grain matures at different times but
domesticated grain is bred to mature at the same time to
make harvesting easier.
- Obtain evidence from your teacher or use the links below and the background information above.
- Use available evidence to formulate
cause and effect. Look at the effects of human and natural
activities such as natural hybridisation and human
intervention in the production of domesticated species.
Here are some starting points.
Egypt: Ancient Egypt, Stockbreeding and Hunting
Inventing agriculture University of Houston's College of
Engineering, Houston, Texas, USA.
- After you have done some research decide whether you want to describe a grain or an animal and which species of the grain or animal to study.
- One way to present the information is as an oral presentation designed to inform other members of your class.
describe the origins of biotechnology in early societies who collected seeds of wild plants and domesticated some species of wild animals
- The beginning of agriculture is the origin of modern biotechnology. Early societies collected seeds and wild animals and selected the individuals and the species that were most useful to them. This led to a population explosion about 10 000 years ago in the Middle East as humans changed from a nomadic way of life to a more settled form.
explain why the collection of seeds and breeding of animals with desired characteristics, could be described as early biotechnology
- Although the people didn't know about genetics they knew that if they took seeds from certain plants they would get some offspring with similar traits. By collecting seeds from plants with desirable characteristics such as heads that matured at the same time and produced seeds that tended not to be blown by the wind easily, the people were controlling the genetic makeup of the next generation of plants. Similarly by choosing animals, such as cattle with characteristics they favoured, such as more placid nature, the genes of their domestic stock would be different from those of the wild animals. This would be especially true after breeding for certain characteristics over many generations.
describe the changes in one group of animals and one group of plants as a result of artificial selection of characteristics suitable for agricultural stock
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Sheep were domesticated approximately 10
000 years ago in Central Asia. They were probably bred
from the wild mouflon of western Asia. They were useful
for both clothes and for food. Later in 3 500 spinning
was discovered and fabric has been found in Egyptian
tombs dated at 5 BC.
The Romans took sheep with fine wool to Spain where further breeding produced the Merino breed.
During the Middle Age in Europe, sheep were used for meat, wool, skins and for milking.
In England during the eighteenth century there was deliberate breeding of sheep to produce favourable varieties such as the Leicestershire.
Today there are five main types of sheep based on wool type.For more information see;
Mouflon Oklahoma State University, Stillwater,
Oklahoma, USA.
Domestication of animals and plants, About.com
- Wheat The domestication of wheat involved both human intervention and natural hybridisation between closely related species. In parts of the Middle East the ancestors of wheat (einkorn - Triticum boeticum and emmerwheat - Triticum dicoccoides ) grew thickly enough naturally to be harvested. Harvesting them changed them genetically by selecting the seed that naturally clung to the plant instead of being blown off by the wind. Humans would then sow the seeds of the plants that had clinging heads more often then the seed that dispersed naturally. This resulted in domesticated plants that cannot naturally reproduce themselves without human intervention.
Modern wheat is husk free, typically short and stands well in highly fertile situations.
Domestication
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