Biotechnology vs Biomedical Engineering
Biotechnology and biomedical engineering both draw from interdisciplinary subjects and share some fundamentals of biology. However, they have distinct scopes and applications. Biotechnology has a broader scope, relying more on natural sciences, while biomedical engineering is focused mainly on medicine and engineering principles.
Biotechnology
Biotechnology is defined as any technological application that uses biological systems, living organisms, or derivatives thereof to make or modify products or processes for specific use. This broad and complex discipline encompasses pure biological sciences such as genetics, microbiology, molecular and cell biology, biochemistry, and fields outside of biology like engineering and information technology. Biotechnology has been practiced since the dawn of civilization, with examples including making bread, beer, wine, and cheese through fermentation and selective breeding of useful animal and plant species. Modern biotechnology has applications in health care, agriculture, environment, and industrial processes, such as producing disease-resistant and nutritionally enhanced crops, gene therapy, genetic screening, and enzymes that act as industrial catalysts. Biotechnology is also used in pollution control, waste management, mining, energy production, forestry, and aquaculture. However, there are controversies surrounding biotechnology due to the potential risks of genetically modified organisms damaging the balance of nature and leading to unknown consequences.
Key Takeaways
- Biotechnology is a broad discipline that uses biological systems, living organisms, or their derivatives to make or modify products or processes for specific use.
- Biotechnology has applications in health care, agriculture, environment, and industrial processes.
- There are controversies surrounding biotechnology due to the potential risks of genetically modified organisms damaging the balance of nature and leading to unknown consequences.
Biomedical Engineering
Biomedical engineering involves the application of engineering principles and design concepts to medicine and biology. It is focused on developing innovative biologies, materials, processes, implants, devices, and informatics approaches for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases, patient rehabilitation, and improving health. Biomedical engineering is a relatively new engineering discipline and is influenced by many other engineering and medical fields, including biomedical electronics, biomaterials, bioinstrumentation, clinical engineering, cellular, tissue, and genetic engineering. Some major biomedical engineering applications include the development of biocompatible prostheses, diagnostic and therapeutic medical devices, and biotechnology-related applications like regenerative tissue growth and production of biopharmaceuticals. Examples of commonly used biomedical engineering products are prosthetic eyes, breast implants, and pacemakers.
Difference between Biotechnology and Biomedical Engineering
While the scopes and applications of biotechnology and biomedical engineering overlap to some extent, they have their own distinct characteristics. Biotechnology is more dependent on natural sciences, while biomedical engineering uses concepts and principles of physical science to solve problems. Biomedical engineering is more focused on medicine and healthcare applications, while biotechnology addresses almost all forms of life sciences, covering a broader scope. The fundamental concepts of biotechnology have been practiced for centuries, but biomedical engineering has only recently emerged as its own discipline. Unlike the direct manipulation of biological materials in biotechnology, biomedical engineering emphasizes more on higher systems approaches when utilizing living things.
In summary, biotechnology and biomedical engineering are interdisciplinary subjects sharing principles of biological sciences, but biotechnology has a broader scope and wider areas of application, while biomedical engineering is mainly centered on the fields of medicine and engineering. Both are upcoming and promising fields that have significantly impacted and improved the quality of life.
