Chapter 4

is defined as the vast variety of life forms in the

entire Earth

Biodiversity It encompasses all kinds of life forms, from the

single-celled organisms to the largest multi-
celled organisms

Biodiversity is the source of the essential goods

and ecological services that constitute the
source of life for all and it has direct
consumptive value in food, agriculture,
medicine and in industry.”
Ecosystem

a geographic area where plants, animals, and other

organisms, as well as weather and landscape, work
together to form a bubble of life
Changes in Biodiversity

A change in biodiversity could have erratic effects

not only in wildlife or marine life but also in human
beings
The animals, insects, and all types of life forms in
the cleared area would either be displaced or most
likely be killed
The loss of these life forms could affect the entire
ecosystem governing that environment
 Habitual loss and destruction

Threats to Biodiversity
Alterations in ecosystem composition

Over-exploitation

Pollution and contamination

Global Climate change

Consequences of
Biodiversity Loss

The basic concept about biodiversity loss was from

Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace
Biodiversity loss is caused by five primary drivers:
habitat loss, invasive species, overexploitation ,
pollution, climate change associated with global
warming
Nutritional Impact of
Biodiversity

According to the WHO, biodiversity is a vital

element of a human being’s nutrition because of its
influence to food production
Biodiversity plays a crucial role in human nutrition
through its influence on world food production, as
it ensures the sustainable productivity of soils and
provides the genetic resources for all crops,
livestock, and marine species harvested for food
 Almost all living organisms are dependent to
their environment to live and reproduce

Basic needs of living organisms such as air,

Health, Biology, and water, food, and habitat are provided by its
environment
Biodiversity
Environmental hazards increase the risk of
cancer, heart disease, asthma and many other
illnesses

Biodiversity provides numerous ecosystem

services that are crucial to human well-being at
present and in the future
Environment-Related
Illnesses

Some human illnesses that are found to be related

with its environment include Parkinson's disease,
heart disease, cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary
disease, asthma, diabetes, obesity, occupational
injuries, dysentery, arthritis, malaria, and depression
Environmental pollutants can cause health problems
like respiratory diseases, heart disease, and some
types of cancer
GENETICALLY MODIFIED
ORGANISMS: SCIENCE,
HEALTH AND POLITICS
Genetically Modified
Organism

Term used for an organism created through science

engineering
The WHO defines GMO as an organism either
plant, animal, or microorganism in which the
genetic material has been altered in a way that does
not occur naturally by mating or natural
recombination
The Genetic Engineering
Process on a Plant
GMOs in Food and
Agricultural Industries

Pest resistance – genetically modified plants to resist certain pests

Virus Resistance - genetically modified plants to resist certain viruses
herbicide tolerance - genetically modified plants to tolerate herbicide
fortification - genetically modified plants fortified with certain minerals
cosmetic preservation - genetically modified plants resist natural
discoloration
increase growth rate - genetically modified organism that has higher yield
in growth than normal species
GMOs in Non-Food Crops and
Microorganisms

Flower production – GMOs in flower production are seen in modified color and
extended vase life of flowers
Paper production – modified characteristics of trees for higher yield of paper
production
Pharmaceutical production – modifies plants to produce pharmaceutical products
Bioremediation – use of modified plants that can assist in the bioremediation of
polluted sites
Enzyme and drug production – use of modified microorganisms that can produce
enzymes for food processing and medicines
GMOs in the medical field – genetic engineering is playing significant role from
diagnosis to treatment of human-dreaded diseases
Benefits of GMOs

Higher efficiency in farming

Increase in harvest
Control in fertility
Increase in food processing
Improvement of desirable characteristics
Nutritional and pharmaceutical enhancement
Reduce the use of fertilizer and pesticides
III. THE NANO WORLD
Nanotechnology

refers to the science, engineering, and technology

conducted at the nanoscale, which is about 1 to 100
nanometers
The term "nanotechnology" was coined by Professor
Norio Taniguchi a decade after the dawn of the use
of ultraprecision machining
How Small is a
Nanoscale?

A nanometer is
a billionth of a Electron
meter, or 10–9 microscope
of a meter

It was first
developed by
Atomic force Gerd Binig,
microscope Calvin Quate,
and Christoph
Gerber in
Scanning tunneling
microscope

Special type of microscope enables scientists to

view and manipulate nanoscale particles, atoms and
small molecules
How to View Nanomaterials? 
1.Electron microscope 
2.Atomic force microscope (AFM) 
•It was first developed by Gerd Binig, Calvin
Quate, and Christoph Gerber in 1986. It
makes use of a mechanical probe that
gathers information from the surface of a
material. 
Nanomanufacturing

It refers to scaled-up, reliable and cost-effective

manufacturing of nanoscale materials, structures,
devices and systems
 Bottom-up fabrication

Two Fundamental
approaches to It manufactures products by building them
up from atomic and molecular scale
nanomanufacturing components

Top-down fabrication

It trims down large pieces of materials into

nanoscale
Government Funding for
Nanotechnology in Different
Countries

U.S. National Nanotechnology Initiative

The best-known and most-funded program is the
National Nanotechnology Initiative of the United
States
European Commission
In February 2008, the EC officially launched the European Nanoelectronics Initiative Advisory
Council

Japan

Taiwan

India

China

Israel

Australia

Canada

South Korea

Thailand
European
Commission
Malaysia Nanotechnology Initiatives
or NNI)
 ICT and semiconductors

Possible Applications
Health and medicine
of Nanotechnology in
the Philippines
Energy

Food and Agriculture

Environment
Nanotech Roadmap for the
Philippines -DOST

ICT and semiconductors

Health and biomedical
Energy
Environment
Agriculture and food
Health and environmental risk
Nano-metrology
Education and public awareness
 Example of Areas
Possible Benefits
Affected by Concerns
Nanotechnology

Benefits and • Improved detection and

•High reactivity and toxicity
Concerns of Using Environment removal of contaminants
• Development of benign
industrial processes and
• Pervasive distribution in
the environment

Nanotechnology
• No nano-specific EPA regulation
materials

• Improved medicine
 •Ability to cross cell membranes and
Health translocate in the body
 • No FDA approval needed for
cosmetics or supplements

• Redistribution of wealth
• Better products 
• Potential cost of
Economy • New jobs
cleanups and healthcare
• Accessibility to all
income levels
IV. THE ASPECTS OF
GENE THERAPY
Gene therapy is a potential method to either treat or cure genetic-related
human illnesses
Human gene therapy was actually first realized in 1971 when the first
recombinant DNA experiments were planned
It can be simply viewed as insertion foreign DNA into a patient's tissue
that hope to successfully eradicate the targeted disease
It was actually inspired by the success of recombinant DNA technology
which occurred over the last 20 years
Without a doubt, gene therapy is the most promising yet possibly
unfavorable medical field being studied
 Replacement of mutated gene that
causes disease with a healthy copy
of the gene
The Basic Process

Inactivation of a mutated gene that

is functioning improperly

Introducing a new gene into the

body to help fight a disease
Two Types of Gene Therapy

1. Somatic Gene Therapy

involves the manipulation of genes in cells that will
be helpful to the patient but not inherited to the next
generation
2. Germ-line gene therapy
involves the genetic modification of germ cells or
the origin cells that will pass the change on to the
next generation
Stem Cell Gene
Therapy
Stem cells

are mother cells that have the potential to become any type of
cell in the body
One of the main characteristics of stem cells is their ability to
self-renew or multiply while maintaining the potential to
develop into other types of cells
Stem cells can become cells of the blood, heart, bones, skin,
muscles, brain, among others
There are different sources of stem cells but all types of stem
cells have the same capacity to develop into multiple types of
cells
Stem cells different sources

1. Embryonic stem cells

The embryonic stem cells are derived from a four-
or five-day-old human embryo that is in the
blastocyst phase of development
The embryos are usually extras that have been
created in IVF clinics where several eggs are
fertilized in a test tube then implanted into a woman
 The somatic stem cells are cells that exist
throughout the body after embryonic development
and are found inside of different types of tissue

These stem cells have been found in tissues such as

the brain, bone marrow, blood, blood vessels,
skeletal muscles, skin, and the liver

2. Somatic stem cells

They remain in a non-dividing state for years until
activated by disease or tissue injury

These stem cells can divide or self-renew

indefinitely, enabling them to generate a range of
cell types from the originating organ or even
regenerate the entire original organ
Somatic stem cells

It is generally thought that adult or somatic stem

cells are limited in their ability to differentiate based
on their tissue of origin, but there is some evidence
to suggest that they can differentiate to become
other cell types
The Bioethics of Gene
Therapy

How can "good" and "bad" uses of gene therapy be distinguished?

Who decides which traits are normal and which constitute a disability or
disorder?
Will the high costs of gene therapy make it available only to the wealthy?
Could the widespread use of gene therapy make society less accepting of
people who are different?
Should people be allowed to use gene therapy to enhance basic human
traits such as height, intelligence, or athletic ability?
V. CLIMATE CHANGE
Climate change

refers to the statistically significant changes in

climate for continuous period of time
Factors that contribute to climate change can be
natural internal process, external forces, and
persistent anthropogenic changes in the composition
of the atmosphere or in land use
It can also be due to natural occurrences or
contributed by acts of human beings
Causes of Climate
Change
The causes of climate change could
be natural or by human activities
Natural Causes
1.1. Volcanic Eruptions
are one of the natural causes of climate change
The volcanic eruption can cause a cooling effect to the lithosphere because its
emitted aerosol can block a certain percentage of solar radiation. This cooling
effect can last for one to two years
What happens in violent volcanic eruptions is the release of ash particles in the
stratosphere
Volcanoes located near the equator are more likely to cause global cooling
because of the wind pattern
Mount Tambora of Indonesia erupted in 1816 – considered as the largest known
eruption in human history
Eruptions of Mount Krakatau of Indonesia in 1883 and Mount Pinatubo of the
Philippines in 1991 contributed to the cold years of planet Earth
1.2. Orbital Changes

Earth's orbit can also cause climate change

This was proposed by the Milankovitch theory
The three elements that have cyclic variations are eccentricity,
obliquity, and precession
Eccentricity is a term used to describe the shape of Earth's orbit
around the Sun
Obliquity is the variation of the tilt of Earth's axis away from the
orbital plane
Precession is the change in orientation of Earth's rotational axis
 Carbon dioxide is added when power and heat
are produced by burning coal, oil, and other
fossil fuels

1.3. The Carbon

Dioxide Theory Carbon dioxide is transparent to sunshine but
not invisible to infrared radiation leaving the
ground

Carbon dioxide absorbs part of the infrared

radiation in the air and returns it to the ground
keeping the air near the surface warmer than it
would be if the carbon dioxide did not act like a
blanket
Human Activities
Human activities contribute to climate change

The largest known contribution comes from the burning of fossil fuels, which releases carbon
dioxide gas to the atmosphere

Greenhouse gases and aerosols affect climate by altering incoming solar radiation and outgoing
infrared radiation that are part of Earth's energy balance

The greenhouse gases are natural gases

Ozone is another greenhouse gas that is continually produced and destroyed in the atmosphere
by chemical reactions

Halocarbons released by human activities destroy ozone in the stratosphere and have caused
the ozone hole over Antarctica

Aerosols contain both naturally occurring compounds and those emitted as a result of human
activities
Human Activities
On September 16, 1986, an
international treaty was adapted
Effects of Climate Change on
Society
Climate change could cause severe affects to all life forms around our planet

It directs affects the basic elements of people's lives like water, food, health, use of land, and
the environment

Declining crop yields due to drought, especially in Africa, are likely to leave hundreds of
millions without the ability to produce or purchase sufficient food

Ocean edification, a direct result of rising carbon dioxide levels, will have major effects on
marine ecosystems, with possible adverse consequences on fish stocks

Climate change will increase worldwide deaths from malnutrition and heat stress

Higher temperatures will increase the chance of triggering abrupt and large-scale changes that
lead to regional disruption, migration, and conflict
Effects of Climate Change on
Society

Warming may induce sudden shifts in regional

weather patterns like the monsoons or the El Niño
Such changes would have severe consequences for
water availability and flooding in tropical regions
and threaten the livelihood of billions
END OF FINALS