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PRETEST:_________
ALTERNATIVE LEARNING SYSTEM
LA UNION DIVISION
LEARNING ACTIVITY SHEET POST-TEST:_______

LS2 SCIENTIFIC & CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS

Name of Learner: _________________________________________ Date: _________________

CLC: __________________________________________________ Level: ________________

LESSON: BIOTECHNOLOGY: Lesson 2: Applications Biotechnology

LEARNING COMPTENCY: Application of Biotechnology in Food Preservation and Hydroponics
(LS2SC-BC-PSD-LE/AE/JHS-3)
At the end of the lesson, you should be able to:
Cite and analyze the application of biotechnology;
Identify and recognize the impact of biotechnology; and
Apply the use of biotechnology in your everyday life.

PRE-TEST:
I. Identification: Identify what is being asked on the following questions. Write your
answers on the space provided before each item.

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LS2: Biotechnology: Lesson 2: Applications of Biotechnology
CONCEPT NOTES:

has an application in various fields. It is currently being used in many areas such as business,
agriculture, bioremediation, food processing, energy production, medicine and
pharmaceuticals. Noteworthy are the developments in agriculture and medicine.
When it was first introduced, biotechnology was predominantly used in medicine to research
and produce pharmaceutical and diagnostic products that help in preventing and curing diseases.
Years of research indicate that agricultural biotechnology is a safe and beneficial technology that
plays a big role in promoting economic and environmental sustainability. Here are some areas that
biotechnology makes a tremendous help.

Vaccines
Employing biotechnology innovations are changing the processes
of preventing illnesses, particularly in developing countries.
Genetically modified crops have had a significant contribution in
the development of vaccines. Foods such as fruits, grains, and
vegetables are engineered to carry antigenic proteins which are
extracted from pathogens. When injected into the body, these
antigens trigger an immune response and boost the resistance of
the body against the pathogens.
An example is the anti-lymphoma vaccine that’s obtained from
tobacco. Tobacco plants are engineered to carry RNA from malignant B-cells. The extracted protein is
injected into the body; an immune response is triggered which destroys the cancerous cells.

Plant and Animal Production

The use of traditional techniques such as cross-pollination,
grafting, and cross-breeding to enhance the behavioral
patterns of plants and animals is time-consuming. Agro-
biotech has made it possible to enhance plant and animal
traits on a molecular level through over expression or gene
removal, or the introduction of foreign genes.

Pesticide Resistant Crops

Biotechnology has led to the engineering of plants that are resistant to pesticides. This allows farmers
to selectively kill weeds without harming their crop.

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LS2: Biotechnology: Lesson 2: Applications of Biotechnology
Nutritional Supplements
In a bid to promote better human health globally, scientists have come up with ways to create
genetically modified foods with nutrients that can help fight disease and starvation. A great example
of such foods is the golden rice as shown in Figure 7, which contains beta carotene, a major source
of Vitamin A in the body.

Variations of Flowers
Scientists are using gene recognition and transfer techniques to improve the
color, size, smell, and other properties of flowers. The technology has also been
used to improve other ornamental plants such as shrubs and trees. Some of
the techniques applied are similar to those used on crops.

Production of Antibiotics
Agricultural biotechnology is applied in the production of antibiotics as shown in Figure 9, for both
humans and animals. Animal antibiotics produced through this technology are low cost but equally
as efficient as traditionally manufactured antibiotics. Since these antibiotics are obtained from plants,
a large quantity of the product can be obtained at a time.

Harness of Biofuels
The agricultural industry plays a major role in the production of biofuels to the extent that feedstock
is used for fermentation and purification of bio-oil, bioethanol, and biodiesel. Genetic engineering and
enzyme optimization techniques are used to produce good-quality feed stocks for more efficient
conversions and higher British Thermal Unit (BTU) outputs of the resultant biofuels. High-energy and
high-yielding feed stocks can reduce the relative costs of harvesting and transportation. The result is
high-quality bio-fuel products.

Production of Power Fibers

The strongest fiber known to man today is spider silk. It is stronger than Kevlar, which is used to
make bullet-proof vests and has a higher tensile strength than strength.

Food Preservation
Food preservation is the technique to prevent food spoilage, food poisoning, food infection and
preventing microbial contamination in the food. It aims to prevent and remove microbial
contamination, inhibit microbial growth, kill contaminating pathogens, and minimize food spoilage,
poisoning and infection. Here are some of the methods:

➢ Pickling – food preserved in vinegar.

➢ Salting – food preserved in salt such as fish and meat. Salt prevents microbial growth.

➢ Smoking – meat and fish prevent spoilage by dehydration.

➢ Canning – a method in preserving food in which the food contents are processed and sealed
in an airtight container in a high temperature.

➢ Bottling – method of preserving food in which the food contents are processed and sealed in
airtight bottles at high temperature. Liquid foods like milk and wine are the examples.
➢ Pasteurization – the process of heating milk below boiling point to kill pathogenic bacteria to
make the food safe to eat. It stops fermentation.

➢ Refrigeration – keeping food at low temperature or cold. Food remained unspoiled in fridge
at 4°C. Freezer temperature should be -18°C.

➢ Sterilization – to remove microbes from food. Milk sterilized by boiling point at100°C.

➢ Dehydration – simplest and cheapest. The process of removal of water from food. Prevent
microbial growth due to lack of water.

➢ Lyophilization – process of rapid freezing and dehydration of frozen products under

vacuum.

➢ Radiation – Ultraviolet rays, beta rays, gamma rays are widely used in food preservation. It
controls and prevents microbial growth. Also called cold sterilization.

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LS2: Biotechnology: Lesson 2: Applications of Biotechnology
 ➢ Chemical Additives - These are substances added to food to preserve flavor or enhance its
taste and appearance or prevent spoilage. Chemical additives inhibit microbial growth. Acetic
acid, lactic acid, benzoic acid used legally to preserve food. Nitrates and nitrites are used to
preserve meat color.

Hydroponics
There are various ways of growing things hydroponically. In one popular method, you allow
your plants to stand in a plastic trough and let a nutrient solution trickle past their roots (with the
help of gravity and a pump). That's called the nutrient-film technique: the nutrient is like a kind of
liquid conveyor belt—it's constantly sliding past the roots delivering to them the goodness they need.
Alternatively, you can grow plants with their roots supported by a nutrient-enriched medium
such as Rockwool, sand, or vermiculite, which acts as a sterile substitute for soil.

Another method is called aeroponics and it's typified by a popular product called the Aero Garden
Although the name suggests you're growing plants in air, the roots are actually suspended inside a
container full of extremely humid air. Effectively, the roots grow in a nutrient-rich aerosol a bit like a
cloud packed full of minerals.
In theory, you can grow any plant hydroponically but—as is always the case with gardening—some
things inevitably do better than others. Fruit crops such as tomatoes and strawberries, and lettuces
and herbs, are among plants that do particularly well.

Biotechnology impacts depend on many factors as our knowledge and capability in

biotechnology increases, so do the potential benefits. However, while the intention behind new
biotechnologies is to benefit society, determining what impact a particular biotechnology may have is
complex.

POST-TEST
Directions: Write the letter of the correct answer on a separate sheet of paper.

________1. Biotechnology encompasses manufacturing processes that include the advances in

genetic engineering such as recombinant DNA. What is DNA?
A. decoribonucleic acid C. derive nucleic acid
B. deoribonucleic acid D. deoxyribonucleic acid

________2. The manufacturing of beer and wine, washing detergents and personal care products is
an example of advancement in the _________________.
A. food biotechnology C. medicinal biotechnology
B. industrial biotechnology D. molecular biotechnology

________3. Which is NOT the impact of biotechnology?

A. Increased agricultural production
B. Increased greenhouse gas emissions
C. Increased environmental sustainability
D. Reduce loss due to pests, drought and diseases

________4. What is the importance of biotechnology in everyday life?

A. In the field of medicine, biotechnology is used in the productions of medicines and
supplements.
B. In agriculture, biotechnology is used to increase crop yield, improve crop quality, and
reduce production costs.
C. Industrial biotechnology uses enzymes and micro-organisms to make bio-based products
such as chemicals, food ingredients, paper, textiles and biofuels.
D. All of the above.

________5. The art of growing plants without soil is known as ________________.

A. drafting B. horticulture C. hydroponics D. propagation

________6. Why is canning an effective method of killing microbes?

A. Canning freezes microbes to death.
B. Canning uses high heat to kill microbes.
C. Canning uses high salt content to kill microbes.
D. All of the above

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LS2: Biotechnology: Lesson 2: Applications of Biotechnology
________7. Which of the following statements about freezing is NOT correct?
A. Freezing kills all the microbes due to low temperatures
B. Freezing helps slow down the growth rate of microbes
C. Freezing is more effective method of killing microbes when compared to thoroughly
cooking the food
D. All of the above

________8. How does drying food kill microbes?

A. By using a lot of heat to kill them.
B. By getting rid of their water source.
C. By depending on cold temperatures to slow down the growth rate.
D. All of the above.

________9. What is hydroponics?

A. A method of growing plants without water.
B. A method of growing plants underwater.
C. A method of growing plants that does not use air, water, fertilizers or soil.
D. A method for growing plants without soil by using water to deliver nutrients to plants.

________10. Which of the following does NOT describe a hydroponic farming?

A. Plants are grown in nets and water is sprayed on their roots.
B. Plants are grown with the roots hanging in a container of water.
C. Plants are grown in pots of soil and watered by a spray system.
D. Plants are grown in pots of vermiculite and water is circulated around their roots.

Congratulations for a job well done! Keep up the good work. Now you are ready to move on to the next
module.

Reference:
ALS Accreditation and Equivalency Program Module: Junior High School
Learning Strand 2: Scientific and Critrical Thinking Skills
Module: Biotechnology
Lesson 2: Concepts of Biotechnology
Pages:12-25

Prepared by:
MON IRVIN R. FONTANILLA_
ALS Teacher III, Agoo West District
CP #: 09218912126 FB/Messenger: Mon Fontanilla

_____________ ________________ ______________

ALS Learner Signature ALS Teacher Parents/Guardian Signature

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LS2: Biotechnology: Lesson 2: Applications of Biotechnology