STS STUDY GUIDE
Week 10-11 NANOTECHNOLOGY & ITS APPLICATION
Nano = 10-9
Nanotechnology – multidisciplinary field that encompasses understanding and control of
matter.
• Convergent
• Enabling
Father of Nanotechnology – Richard Feynman (He was the first to introduce the concept of
nanotechnology in 1959 wherein he presented a lecture entitled “There’s a Plenty of Room at the
Bottom” during the annual meeting of the American Physical Society)
Nanoscience – study and application of structures and materials that have dimensions. (It
is the study, manipulation, engineering, and application of incredibly small matter at the
nanometer scale.)
Nanomaterials – materials used to create displays that have better color, lower energy
consumption and linger service life.
Examples: carbon nanotubes, diamond, quantum dots, fullerenes, graphite,
graphene oxide, dendrimers, liposomes, DNA, titanium oxide, silver and iron oxide.
Nano sources – Naturally occurring (volcanic ash, forest fires, ocean spray); Incidental/
Anthropogenic; Combustion process.
Nanodevices – least overall dimensions in the nanoscale or comprising one or more
nanoscale components essential to its operation.
HISTORY OF NANOTECHNOLOGY
Ideas and concepts behind nanoscience, physicist Richard Feynman nanotechnology
started with a talk at an American Physical Society meeting at the California Institute of
Technology on Dec. 29, 1959, long before the term nanotechnology was used.
Over a decade later, in his explorations of ultraprecision machining, Prof. Norio Taniguchi
coined the term nanotechnology (He was the first to use and define the term
"nanotechnology" in 1974.)
APPROACHES TO NANOTECHNOLOGY
• Top-down Approach (bulk to smaller particles)
• Bottom-up Approach (small particles to bulk particle)
Week 10-11GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISMS
Biotechnology – use of living systems, organisms, or biologically derived materials to
develop or make products.
Bioengineering – application of principles of biology and the tools of engineering to create
usable, tangible, economically-viable products.
BRANCHES OF BIOTECHNOLOGY
Blue biotechnology – applied in marine and aquatic biotechnology.
Green biotechnology – applied in agricultural processes.
Red biotechnology – applied to improvement of medical processes.
White biotechnology – applied in industrial processes (useful chemical).
Genes – basic physical and functional unit of heredity.
Genes are made up of DNA.
Protein Synthesis – DNA > RNA > Protein
Steps in Genetic Engineering – Cutting DNA, making recombinant DNA, Cloning and
Screening.
Application of Genetic Engineering – Forensics, Gene Therapy, Vaccines, Cloning,
Transgenic organisms (flora and fauna), GM crops.
Week 12-13 GENE THERAPY
Gene therapy – experimental technique that uses genes to treat or prevent disease.
Ashanti de Silva was treated for SCID (Severe Combined Immunodeficiency)
TYPES AND APPROACHES
Types of Gene Therapy
• Somatic Cell Therapy – any cell except sperm and egg cell.
• Germline Gene Therapy – sperm and egg cell (gametes).
Approached to Gene Therapy
• Ex vivo – cultured cells and will be injected to the body of patients.
• In vivo – therapeutic gene into the vector injected directly to the body.
Types of Viruses
• Viral vectors
o Retrovirus
o Adenovirus
o Adeno Associated viruses
o Herpes simplex viruses
• Non-viral vectors
o Naturally occurring compounds
o Enhance delivery by physical methods
o Enhance delivery by chemical methods
Stem Cell – inner cell mass from blastocyst.
• Ability to self-generate
• Ability to differentiate
Types of Stem Cells
• Totipotency cells
• Pluripotent cells
• Multipotent cells
• Unipotent cells
Planarians – flatworms that are capable of propound regenerative feats dependent upon
a population of self-renewing adult stem cells called neoblasts.
Week 14-15 PHILIPPINE BIODIVERSITY
Component of Biodiversity
• Species
• Ecosystem
• Genetic
Level of Biological Organization
• Atom > Molecule > Cell > Organ > Organism > Population > Community >
Ecosystem > Biosphere
Major Ecosystem
• Aquatic
• Terrestrial
Factors Affecting Philippine Biodiversity
• Archipelagic nature
• Mountainous topography
• Diverse habitats
• Tropical climate
• Soil types
Ecological Relationships
• Competition
• Predation
• Symbiosis
o Parasitism
o Commensalism
o Mutualism
Food chain – linear transfer of energy.
Food web – complex type of food chain.
Threat to Biodiversity – Rapid Deforestation
Week 16—17 CLIMATE CHANGE AND ITS IMPACTS
Weather – short term
Climate – long term
Climate change – long term shifts in temperature and weather patterns.
Greenhouse effect – natural and vital process that regulates earth`s climate.
Global warming – trapping of greenhouse emissions (human activities).
Climate change vs. Global warming
A significant change in the state of the climate that persists for an extended period . Identified
by changes in the mean or variability of its properties (e.g. average temperature and
precipitation)
Gradual increase in the earth`s average surface temperature is due to the increase of
greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere from anthropogenic sources.
Causes and Effects of Climate Change
• Rapid Industrialization, Energy use, Agricultural practices, Deforestation, Consumer
practices, Livestock, Transport, Resource extraction and Pollution.
• Rising temperature, rising sea level, Unpredictable weather patterns, Increase in extreme
weather events, Land degradation, Loss of wildlife and biodiversity.
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