What is Biotechnology?

Biotechnology refers to "the use of living organisms or their products to modify human health and the human environment." Biotechnology harnesses cellular and bio-molecular processes to develop technologies, living organisms or their products to help improve our lives and the health of our planet. We have used the biological processes of micro organisms for more than 6,000 years to make useful food products, such as bread and cheese, and to preserve dairy products.

Some exmaples of biotechnology include using yeast cells to raise bread dough and ferment alcoholic beverages. Bacterial cells are also used to make cheese and yogurt. Due to biotechnology, animals can  increase their strength and give birth to more productive offsprings. 

Modern biotechnology provides products and technologies to help cure rare diseases, reduce our environmental footprint, feed the hungry, use less and cleaner energy, and have safer, cleaner and more efficient industrial manufacturing processes. Biotechnology today also enables the combination of the genetic elements of two or more living cells. DNA can be taken from one organism and placed into the cells of another organism. As a result, we can cause bacterial cells to produce human molecules, and cows can produce more milk from being fed the same amount of food!

Sources:

http://www.bio.org/articles/what-biotechnology

http://www.accessexcellence.org/RC/AB/BC/what_is_biotechnology.php