Biotechnology is multidisciplinary field which has major impact on our lives. The technology is known since years which involves working with cells or cell-derived molecules for various applications. It has wide range of uses and is termed "technology of hope" which impact human health, well being of other life forms and our environment. In this chapter, the readers would understand the applications of biotechnology in human health care system. It has also impacted the environment which is loaded by toxic compounds due to human industrialization and urbanization.

Bioremediation process utilizes use of natural or recombinant organisms for the clean-up of environmental toxic pollutants. The development of insect and pest resistant crops and herbicide tolerant crops has greatly reduced the environmental load of toxic insecticides and pesticides. The increase in crop productivity for solving world food and feed problem is addressed in agricultural biotechnology.

The technological advancements have focused on development of alternate, renewable, and sustainable energy sources for production of biofuels. Marine biotechnology explores the products which can be obtained from aquatic organisms. As with every research area, the field of biotechnology is associated with many ethical issues and unseen fears. These are important in defining laws governing the feasibility and approval for the conduct of particular research.

Biotechnology is the technological application which utilizes biological entities, living organisms or biological derivatives. The origin of biotechnology was not novel. The origin of biotechnology arose in ancient age. The ancient Egypt and China were the countries that used biotechnology in the form of food fermentation. The concept of biotechnology bound in a wide range of procedures for modifying living organisms based on the need of human activities. The term modern biotechnology is adopted to refer biotechnological techniques.

The new era of modern biotechnology came through the discovery of genes made of DNA. Modern biotechnology recent developments are genetically modified plants and animals. New applications like genetic engineering and cell fusion are come under modern biotechnology.

Introduction
The term "biotechnology" was coined by a Hungarian engineer Karl Ereky, in 1919, to refer to the science and methods that permit products to be produced from raw materials with the aid of living organisms. Biotechnology is a diverse field which involves either working with living cells or using molecules derived from them for applications oriented toward human welfare using varied types of tools and technologies. It is an amalgamation of biological science with engineering whereby living organisms or cells or parts are used for production of products and services.

In the modern age, people started baking cake and making wine with grapes at professional level. At the time of medieval association of merchants called guilds ruled over trading, many changes have occurred in technology and trade. In 17th century guilds system of trade got reduced due to changes in technology. Finally, industrial enterprises and large- scale production introduced.2

Bio-Technology is the use of living things especially cells and bacteria for production of various products for benefiting human beings. It is a combination of various technologies, applied together to living cells, including not only biology, but also subjects like mathematics, physics, chemistry and engineering. Its application ranges from agriculture (Animal Husbandry, Cropping system, Soil science and Soil Conservation, Plant Physiology, Seed Technology etc. and Crop Management) to industry (food, pharmaceutical, chemical, by products, textiles etc.), medicine, nutrition, environmental conservation, Cell Biology, making it one of the fastest growing fields. Biotechnology is to modify genetic structure in animals and plants to improve them in desired way for getting beneficial products. Biotechnology uses living cells to develop or manipulate products for specific purposes, such as genetically modified foods.

Biotechnology is thus linked to genetic engineering and emerged as a field in its own right at the beginning of the 20th century in the food industry, which was later joined by other sectors such as medicine and the environment. Today, the five branches into which modern biotechnology is divided:

Human, Environmental, Industrial, Animal, and Plant Help:

• Human, environmental, industrial, animal, and plant help us fight hunger and disease, produce more safely, cleanly, and efficiently, reduce our ecological footprint, and save energy.
• The increase in investment and employment in this sector has been exponential in recent years, reflecting its growing economic impact and its key role in sustainable development and technology innovation at a global level.

History of Biotechnology:

1. Biotechnology Origins:
   • People were using biotechnology techniques thousands of years ago, but they did not name their working field as biotechnology.
   • The name biotechnology was given by Hungarian engineer Karoly Ereky in 1919 to describe a technology based on converting raw materials into a more useful product.
2. Ancient Egyptian Biotechnology:
   • The ancient Egyptians made wine using fermentation techniques based on an understanding of the microbiological processes that occur in the absence of oxygen.
   • Egyptians also applied fermentation technologies to make dough rise during bread-making. Due to this application, there were more than 50 varieties of bread in Egypt more than 4,000 years ago.
   • In wetter parts of the Nile Valley, Egyptians bred geese and cattle to meet their society's nutritional and dietary needs.
   • Yogurt was made at homes, but the reason for the conversion of milk into yogurt was unknown to the old people. Later research showed that yogurt is made due to the action of yeast added to milk, which is also biotechnology as it uses a microorganism for benefiting humans.
   • People have used selective breeding to improve crop and livestock production for food. In selective breeding, organisms with desirable characteristics are mated to produce offspring with the same characteristics. For example, this technique was used with corn to produce the largest and sweetest crops.

Modern Biotechnology:

• The Second World War became a major impediment in scientific discoveries. After the war, very crucial discoveries were reported, paving the path for modern biotechnology.

1. 1953: Watson & Crick: In 1953, JD Watson and FHC Crick gave a structural model of DNA, known as the Double Helix Model, explaining DNA replication and its role in inheritance.
2. Dr. Hargobind Khorana & Karl Mullis: Dr. Hargobind Khorana synthesized DNA in a test tube, while Karl Mullis amplified DNA, making it 1,000 times more than the original. This allowed the insertion of foreign DNA into a host, monitoring its transfer to future generations.
3. 1997: Dolly the Sheep: In 1997, Ian Wilmut cloned a sheep named Dolly.
4. Human Genome Project (2003): The Human Genome Project completed sequencing of the human genome in 2003.
5. Boyer's Insulin Gene Discovery (1978): Boyer isolated a gene for insulin, inserted it into bacteria to reproduce larger quantities for diabetics.

Modern Biotechnology Impact:

• Modern biotechnology provides products and technologies to combat rare diseases, reduce environmental footprints, feed the hungry, use less and cleaner energy, and create safer manufacturing processes.

Types of Biotechnology:

1. Red Biotechnology: Health branch responsible for developing more than 250 vaccines, medications, regenerative therapies, and artificial organs.
2. Green Biotechnology: Used by over 13 million farmers worldwide to fight pests and nourish crops against microorganisms and extreme weather.
3. White Biotechnology: Industrial branch focused on improving manufacturing processes, biofuels, and sustainable industrial practices.
4. Yellow Biotechnology: Researching to reduce saturated fats in cooking oils and genetically improve food products.
5. Blue Biotechnology: Exploits marine resources for aquaculture, cosmetics, and healthcare products. Used for biofuels derived from microalgae.
6. Grey Biotechnology: Conservation and restoration of ecosystems through bioremediation processes.
7. Gold Biotechnology (Bioinformatics): Responsible for obtaining, storing, and analyzing biological information related to DNA and amino acid sequences.

Recent Subcategories:

1. Brown Biotechnology: Focuses on arid and desert soils with plant species to increase flora and biodiversity.
2. Purple Biotechnology: Legal study of biotechnology involving intellectual property and biosafety.
3. Orange Biotechnology: Dissemination of scientific information in the fields of education and research.
4. Black Biotechnology: Research work on microorganisms that can be manipulated for biological warfare and bioterrorism.

Fields of Biotechnology:

1. Genetic Engineering: Direct manipulation of an organism's genome using biotechnology. Organisms are given targeted combinations of new traits that cannot be developed by natural means.
2. Tissue Culture: A method of biological research where fragments of animal or plant tissues are transferred to an artificial environment to continue to survive and function.
3. Cloning: Processes to create genetic replicas of cells, tissues, or organisms. Cloning includes gene cloning, reproductive cloning, and therapeutic cloning.

Development of Biotechnology in Various Countries:

1. Modern Biotechnology in Japan: Bio-industry and applied microbiology contributed to biotechnology in Japan. Early microbial enzyme applications began in 1894.
2. Modern Biotechnology in India: The Department of Biotechnology was established in 1986 for the development of biotechnology in India, focusing on R&D in genetic engineering, molecular biology, and more.

Various Developmental Applications of Modern Biotechnology:

• Biotechnology applications can be categorized into ancient, classical, and modern biotechnology. The review focuses on modern biotechnology applications.

Conclusion
The applications of biotechnology are so broad and the advantages are so effective, that virtually every industry is using this technology. Developments are underway in areas as diverse as pharmaceuticals, diagnostics, textiles, aquaculture, forestry, chemicals, household products, environmental clean-up, food processing and forensics to name a few. Biotechnology is enabling these industries to make new or better products, often with greater speed, efficiency and flexibility. Biotechnology holds significant promise to the future.

In short, Today‟s biotechnology is continuing to help improve the way we live, and it helps us do so more responsibly.

The result of biotechnology is a diverse and nearly endless set of practical biotechnology products helping us live longer and healthier lives, have a more abundant and sustainable food supply.

Biotechnology has brought humanity to this level of comfort; the next question is, where will it take us? Biotechnology has both beneficial and destructive potentials. It is, WE who should decide how to use this technology to help humanity rather than to destroy it. The advantages of biotechnology are so broad that it is finding its place in virtually every industry. It has applications in areas as diverse as pharmaceuticals, diagnostics, textiles, aquaculture, forestry, chemicals, household products, environmental cleanup, food processing, and forensics to name a few.

Biotechnology is enabling these industries to make new or better products, often with greater speed, efficiency, and flexibility. The technique may be helpful in developing useful and beneficial plants. It overcomes the limitations of traditional plant breeding. The techniques of plant tissue culture, transgenics, and marker- assisted selections are largely used for selecting better yielding varieties and imparting quality traits in plants. It is also helpful in maintaining environment by bioremediation and other treatment.

The areas where it finds applications are:

• Food industries. Production of single-cell protein, spirulina, enzymes, and solid-state fermentations.
• Increase and improvement of agricultural production.
• Production of therapeutic pharmaceuticals.
• Production of vaccines and monoclonal antibodies.
• Cultivation of virus for vaccine production.

Reference:

1. Journal by various authors in relation to Biotechnology
2. Research Article of University of Punjab
3. https://www.tsijournals.com/articles/world-history-of-modern-biotechnology-and-its-applications.html
4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7119977/
5. https://www.iberdrola.com/innovation/what-is-biotechnology
6. Notes given by the guide