Biotechnology, as a field of formal study, is relatively new. Its origins, however, are ancient. One of the earliest forms of biotechnology is the process of fermentation used in the making of wine, cheese, beer, and bread. Biotechnology, as it is studied today, is the application of modern approaches to manipulating DNA to make products. Pharmaceutical applications of biotechnology focus on the development of drugs to help treat disease. Included are the development of natural products as drugs, the development and uses of recombinant drugs (human insulin and human growth hormone), gene therapy, cell replacement, organ transplantation, and lab tests that use recombinant components. The book concludes with a history of biotechnology in list form, a glossary, a bibliography, and an index. Contrasting color used in selected typefaces, colorful photographs, and detailed illustrations and diagrams enhance visual appeal and supplement the information in the text. This title, part of the "Biotechnology in the 21st Century" series, would be a good addition to a high school science classroom or the reference section of a library.

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