Science & Tech (Science and Technology- Developments and Applications) by Rajvardhan

Model Answer

Question #1. What do you understand by nanotechnology and how is it helping in health sector?

Answer: 

Nanotechnology refers to the branch of science and engineering devoted to designing, producing, and using structures, devices, and systems by manipulating atoms and molecules at nanoscale, i.e. having one or more dimensions of the order of 100 nanometres (100 millionth of a millimetre) or less.

Nanotechnology allows us to use nanoparticles that have different properties than their normal sized counterparts. These unique properties of nanoparticles have found their applications in different sectors, including health care sector.

Nanotechnology in Health sector: 

1. In the health care sector, nanomaterials are used for diagnosis, treatment, control and prevention of diseases
2. Nanomedicine approaches are being used in the treatment of cancer, which enables efficient delivery of drugs and other therapeutic treatments to specific tumor sites and target cells with low toxic side-effects.
3. Nanomedicine is being used to develop a new method for detecting cancer cells in the bloodstream, called NanoFlares. NanoFlares are particles designed to bind themselves to genetic targets in cancer cells and generate light when that particular genetic target is found, thus aiding in their detection.
4. Scientists are working on developing ‘smart bandages’, which when left on the site, will absorb itself into the tissue once the wound heals. Embedded nanofibres in these smart bandages can contain clotting agents, antibiotics, and even sensors to detect signs of infection
5. Nanobots are micro-scale robots, which essentially serve as miniature surgeons. They can be inserted into the body to repair and replace intracellular structures.

Thus, nanotechnology has started playing an important role in health care. But its real significance for health sector can be known after extensive research on the use of nanoparticles. While doing this it is also important to take care of concerns related with nanotechnology. Once this is done acceptability of nanotechnology will increase and many people will be able to take benefits of nanotechnology in the treatment of various diseases 

Question #2. How can biotechnology help to improve the living standards of farmers? 

Answer: 

Biotechnology is technology that utilizes biological systems, living organisms or parts of this to develop or create different products. Biotechnology provides range of tools, including traditional breeding techniques, that alter living organisms, or parts of organisms, to make or modify products; improve plants or animals; or develop microorganisms for specific agricultural uses. Modern biotechnology today includes the tools of genetic engineering.

This use of biotechnology provides various benefits to farmers 

1. Biotechnology provides farmers with tools that can make production cheaper and more manageable. For example, some biotechnology crops can be engineered to tolerate specific herbicides, which make weed control simpler and more efficient. This helps in reduction of the input cost. 
2.  Genetically modified crops have been engineered to be resistant to specific plant diseases and insect pests, which can make pest control more reliable and effective, and/or can decrease the use of synthetic pesticides. This ensures that crop production is not affected due to pest attacks.
3. Biotech crops can make farming more profitable by increasing crop quality and may in some cases increase yields.
4. The use of some of these crops can simplify work and improve safety for farmers.
5. Biotechnology has also helped farmers to improve the yield from animal husbandry. This allows them to get additional income.
6. Genetically modified crops even allow farmers to take crops despite changes occurring in the climatic conditions.

Thus with biotechnology and its application in the field of agriculture has the potential to reduce input cost for farmers. Also, it helps farmers to increase their production and thus income, which ultimately helps them improve their living standards.