BIOL 1010 ‐ Biotechnology and Society Assignment #1
The Carleton Prize for Biotechnology
Johanna Gamauf
Student #: 101000066
Date: October 6, 2015 Biotechnology is an ever-growing science and industry in our current society. A series of historical events and individuals are pertinent to the construction and creation modern biotechnology. This field of science can be described and defined in many different ways from very formally to very broadly. The definition of biotechnology is constantly being reworked as biotechnology progresses and evolves with new advances and discoveries over time. The definition that can describe biotechnology today, defined in “Introduction to Biotechnology” sates that biotechnology is “a broad area …show more content…
As noted in “Introduction to Biotechnology”, a vaccination is described to be “The process of administering a vaccine to provide and organism with immunity to an infectious microorganism” (pg. G-18). Jenner showed a great interest in natural history and surgery, which led him towards his years of research in medicine. Smallpox was an ever-growing issue throughout most countries in the world during Jenner’s lifetime. He himself had experienced the wrath of smallpox at a young age (Stewart & Devlin, 2006). During Jenner’s work and practice on the countryside, he learned that milkmaids, milkmen, and dairy farmers were effectively immune to Smallpox. This led him to the inquiry that perhaps their immunity had something to do with the cows. Cows at the time could contract a similar disease called Cowpox, which had similar symptoms to the human small pox disease. Humans could also contract cowpox although it was very rare (McNally, 2001). After 10 years of study Jenner encountered a patient who had contracted cowpox, and this patient claimed that cowpox was protecting her from smallpox. Although this was thought to be only a legend or folklore, Jenner concluded that the immunity of the milkmaids was common and hence, made sense. Therefore he went onward and took the pustules (from the cowpox disease) from the patient’s hands and inoculated another patient with them (McNally, 2001). This result of the experiment was effective and the patient who was given the cowpox disease was rendered immune to the smallpox disease. Jenner was ultimately able to solidify and formulate the idea of
The Carleton Prize for Biotechnology
Johanna Gamauf
Student #: 101000066
Date: October 6, 2015 Biotechnology is an ever-growing science and industry in our current society. A series of historical events and individuals are pertinent to the construction and creation modern biotechnology. This field of science can be described and defined in many different ways from very formally to very broadly. The definition of biotechnology is constantly being reworked as biotechnology progresses and evolves with new advances and discoveries over time. The definition that can describe biotechnology today, defined in “Introduction to Biotechnology” sates that biotechnology is “a broad area …show more content…
As noted in “Introduction to Biotechnology”, a vaccination is described to be “The process of administering a vaccine to provide and organism with immunity to an infectious microorganism” (pg. G-18). Jenner showed a great interest in natural history and surgery, which led him towards his years of research in medicine. Smallpox was an ever-growing issue throughout most countries in the world during Jenner’s lifetime. He himself had experienced the wrath of smallpox at a young age (Stewart & Devlin, 2006). During Jenner’s work and practice on the countryside, he learned that milkmaids, milkmen, and dairy farmers were effectively immune to Smallpox. This led him to the inquiry that perhaps their immunity had something to do with the cows. Cows at the time could contract a similar disease called Cowpox, which had similar symptoms to the human small pox disease. Humans could also contract cowpox although it was very rare (McNally, 2001). After 10 years of study Jenner encountered a patient who had contracted cowpox, and this patient claimed that cowpox was protecting her from smallpox. Although this was thought to be only a legend or folklore, Jenner concluded that the immunity of the milkmaids was common and hence, made sense. Therefore he went onward and took the pustules (from the cowpox disease) from the patient’s hands and inoculated another patient with them (McNally, 2001). This result of the experiment was effective and the patient who was given the cowpox disease was rendered immune to the smallpox disease. Jenner was ultimately able to solidify and formulate the idea of