Introduction to gene technology.

The increased use of biotechnology for numerous categories of common products (pharmaceuticals, foods, agricultural chemicals, etc.) has an ever increasing impact on our society. In the medical/pharmaceutical field, biotechnology signifies a drastic change in the approach to drug discovery, research and development, diagnosis, and disease management. The basis of replication, transcription, translation, recombinant DNA technology, and production of altered genes are defined. Examples of biopharmaceuticals, i.e., enzymes or regulators of enzyme activity, hormones or hormone-like growth factors, cytokines, vaccines, monoclonal antibodies, and gene transfer in humans are discussed.