SCIENCE,

TECHNOLOGY, and
SOCIETY

Special Topics in Science,

Technology , and Society

HUSHLEY R. RENON
Instructor
Department of Mathematics and Natural Sciences
 OUTLINE
E. Specific Issues in Science,
Technology, and Society
1. Information Age
2. Biodiversity and a Healthy Society
3. Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs)
and Gene Therapy
4. Nanotechnology
5. Climate Change and Environmental
Awareness
 LEARNING OUTCOMES
At the end of this section, the students
should be able to:
1. Identify the importance of biodiversity as
a source of different biological resources;
and
2. Discuss the adverse effects of resource
depletion on society and the measures to
mitigate them.
 OVERVIEW
Interactions among
society, environment,
and health.

Relationship with health

and medicine, food, Value of biodiversity
energy, water storage (food, medicine and
and flood control, and biological resources).
air and water treatment.
 Biodiversity and the Health Society
BIODIVERSITY
✔ “the variability among living organisms
from all sources including, among other
things, terrestrial, marine and other
aquatic eco-systems and the ecological
complexes of which they are part”.
✔ “the variety and variability of species of
their population, the variety of species of
their life forms, the diversity of the
complex association with species with
their interaction and their ecological
process which influences perform.”
✔ the variety of the earth’s species, the
genes they contain, the ecosystem in
which they live, and the ecosystem
processes of energy flow and nutrient
cycling that sustain all life.
 Biodiversity and the Health
Society
TYPES OF BIODIVERSITY:
1. Genetic diversity
2. Species diversity
3. Ecosystem diversity
4. Functional diversity
 Biodiversity and the Health
Society
TYPES OF BIODIVERSITY:
1. Genetic diversity
✔ the differences in genetic
make-up between distinct
species and genetic variations
within a single species.
✔ comprises not only the
individual genetic variation
within a population, but also
the genetic variation between
populations that is often
associated with adaptations to
local conditions.
 Biodiversity and the Health
Society

Genetic diversity enables life on earth to adapt and survive dramatic

environmental changes.
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Society
TYPES OF BIODIVERSITY:
2. Species diversity
✔ assessed in terms of the
number of species or the
range of different types of
species in a given area.
✔ The normal measure of
biodiversity for these are
the basic units of
biological classification.
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Society
TYPES OF BIODIVERSITY:
2. Species diversity
• Species richness and evenness
• Endangered species – in danger
of extinction throughout all or a
significant portion of its range.
• Threatened species – considered
likely to become endangered on
the near future.
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TYPES OF BIODIVERSITY:
3. Ecosystem diversity
• the enormous variation of
terrestrial and aquatic
environments and the
variation of the biospheres
and the ecosystem.
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TYPES OF BIODIVERSITY:
4. Functional diversity
✔ the biological and chemical
processes.
✔ e.g. energy flow and
biogeochemical cycle
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Society
DISTRIBUTION OF
BIODIVERSITY:

a. Biotic - presence of other

species in a given area.
✔ e.g. interactions between and
among inter and intra
species.
b. Abiotic - non-living factors in
an ecosystem.
✔ temperature, pH, moisture
levels
c. Human Influences –
anthropological activities.
✔ pollution to habitat
destruction
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CONSERVATION OF
BIODIVERSITY:
1. In situ conservation
• on site conservation or the
conservation of genetic resources
in natural populations of plant or
animal species, such as forest
genetic resources in natural
populations of tree species.
2. Ex situ conservation
• the preservation of components of
biological diversity outside their
natural habitats.
Biodiversity and the Health Society

HEALTH AND MEDICINE

FOOD
BENEFITS FROM RICHNESS OF BIODIVERSITY

ENERGY

WATER STORAGE AND FLOOD CONTROL

AIR AND WATER TREATMENT

 Biodiversity and the Health Society
Benefits from Richness of Biodiversity:
1. Health and Medicine
A. Herbal Medicine (2600BC)

Ancient Greeks
(100-300BC)
• Plant based • Recorded the • Preserved the
drugs (gargles, collection, storage, Western
pills, infusion, and use of knowledge of
and ointments) medicinal herbs treating illnesses

Monasteries in
Ancient Egypt and
England, Ireland,
China
France, and Germany

The use of herbal medicine was dependent on the biodiversity present in

their respective environments.
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HERBAL PLANTS USE

1. Cupressus sempervirens coughs, colds, and inflammation

(Cypress) and
Commiphora myrrha
(Myrrh)
2. Salvia apiana (California aid in childbirth and protect the immune
sage) system from respiratory ailments
3. Alhagi maurorum (Camel diuretic, diaphoretic, laxative,
thorn) expectorant, gastroprotective,
Manna (Melezitose and antiseptic, and anti-diarrheal, treat
sucrose) asthma and nasal polyps
4. Ligusticum scoticum hysterical and uterine disorders and to
(Scottish lovage) relieve flatulence and to stimulate
senses
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MEDICINAL PRODUCTS AVAILABLE IN THE MARKET
MEDICINAL SOURCE USE
PRODUCTs
1. Aspirin (Salicylic Bark of Willow Tree Inflammatory drug
acid)
2. Morphine Papaver somniferum Painkiller
(Opium poppy)
3. Digitoxin Digitalis purpurea Management of
(Fox glove) congestive heart
failure
4. Pilocarpine Pilocarpus microphyllus Dry mouth
(Xerostomia)
5. Quinine Bark of Cinchone succiruba Pac Malaria
ex. Klotzsch
6. Penicillin Penicillum chrysogenum Antibiotic
(notatum)
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PENICILLIN
(1938 to 1941)

New antibiotics from microorganisms and bioactive natural

products.

The production of bacterial strains supersensitive to ß lactams,

tests for the inhibition of ß lactamases, and specificity for
sulfur-containing metabolites
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBdYnRhdWcQ

Antibiotic Structural Classes

(norcardicins, carbapenems, and monobactams)
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Fungi and microorganisms

found in trees, grasses, algae
and herbaceous plants, and MEDICINAL
living in the intracellular PRODUCTS
spaces of plant stems,
petioles, roots, and leaves
 Biodiversity and the Health Society
Benefits from Richness of Biodiversity:
2. Food

Stone Age: Hunting Cultivation of crops

and foraging to get and domestication of
food animals Maintaining stable
food supply
(Provided by (Health of
Ecosystem) Ecosystem)

EVOLUTION OF AGRICULTURE
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Benefits from Richness of Biodiversity:
2. Food
✔ Agrobiodiversity is the result of careful selection and
innovative developments by farmers, fishers, and herders
throughout the years.
✔ E.g. Harvested crops varieties and non-harvested species
in the environment that support ecosystems for food
production.
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TYPE OF ENERGY TIME USE
Benefits from Richness of
1. Heat energy (Fire)
Biodiversity: Stone Age survival against harsh cold
environments, for cooking and for
3. Energy
communication.
2. Coal 1000 BC heating and cooking
(China, Romans, and Native
Americans)
3. Water energy or 400 BC Irrigation
Hydropower (Ancient Greeks and Romans)

4. Oil (wells) 347 AD Lighting and Heating

(China)
5. Wind 500-900 AD, Grain mills , water pumps,
1300, 1390 windmills, draining lakes, marshes,
and navigation
(Persians, Europe, and Dutch)
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TYPE OF ENERGY TIME USE

6. Biomass 1700-1800 Primary source of energy

7. Natural Gas 1820 Source of light

8. Electric Generator 1830 Source of electricity

(Michael Faraday)

9. Commercial Oil 1850 Distillation of kerosene from

petroleum
10. First solar 1860 Industrial machinery
powered system
(Augustine
Mouchot)
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TYPE OF ENERGY TIME USE

11. Geothermal 1892 Heating and Electricity

energy
12. First nuclear 1942 Energy production
fission
13. Coal energy 19-20th century Industrialization of US, UK and
European countries
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Nuclear reactor accident at Three Mile Island near Biggest oil spill in US waters, the Exxon
Middletown, Pennsylvannia (1979) Valdez oil spill in Alaska (1980)

Coal ash spill in Tennessee and Oil spill in Gulf of Fukushima nuclear crisis in Japan
Mexico (2000’s) (2000’s)

The effects on the environment and the risk of potential accident when using
energy alarmed many environmental organization.
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ADVERSE EFFECTS OF ENERGY PRODUCTION IN
BIODIVERSITY
Wildlife mortality

Habitat loss

Fragmentation

Noise and light pollution

Invasive species

Changes in carbon stock and

water resources
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Benefits from Richness of Biodiversity:
4. Water Storage and Flood Control

Aqueducts
Discovery of Waters from were used to Dams were
Inundation of Groundwater Rivers and maintain built to
Rivers and (2000 years Lakes was stable water maintain
Lakes ago, Wells in used in supplies. water supply.
the Middle East) Irrigation (Romans and (19th century)
Greeks)

Biodiversity in forests plays an unquestionably crucial role in water resources.

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Forest provide natural Roots and leaves of Forest also plays

filtration and storage trees create major role in water
systems to provide conditions that cycle affecting rates
freshwater. promote the of transpiration and
infiltration of rainwater evaporation and
into the soil. water storage in
watersheds.

CRUCIAL ROLE OF BIODIVERSITY (FOREST) IN WATER

RESOURCES
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Mortality for people

Extreme damages in Damages homes,
Destroy crops and living in low-lying
DISADVANTAGES OF FLOODING
both rural and urban
areas
roads, and other
infrastructures
farmlands areas near rivers and
lakes

ADVANTAGES OF FLOODING Make soil healthier and more Add nutrients to rivers and
Help farmers distribute
fertile for the cultivation of lakes thus improving the
nutrients
crops ecosystem
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Benefits from Richness of Biodiversity:
5. Air and Water Treatment

EFFECTS OF EXCESSIVE
stimulates the growth of
NITROGEN
nitrogen-loving plant
species but reduces the
reduces the resilience
of forests to other
concentration limit of
nitrate in drinking water
critical concentrations
of nitrogen will
is too high to protect
occurrence of plant environmental stresses adversely affect the
natural ecosystem
species adapted to such as drought, frost, structure and function
particularly plant
low-nitrogen pests, and diseases of ecosystem
species
environment

Negative impacts on vegetation reduce sink capacity from carbon dioxide and ozone,
enhancing their atmospheric concentrations and affecting the global water cycle.
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Benefits from Richness of Biodiversity:
5. Air and Water Treatment

EFFECTS OF OZONE
High levels of ground
level ozone promote Damages the leaves of Reduced wheat yield by
early flowering, affecting salad crops reducing 14% and tomato yield
synchronization of their market value by 9%
pollinators and flowers

Negative impacts on vegetation reduce sink capacity fro carbon dioxide and ozone,
enhancing their atmospheric concentrations and affecting the global water cycle.
Biodiversity and the Health Society
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Benefits from Richness of Biodiversity:
5. Air and Water Treatment

Reduces sink
Negative impacts capacity of Global water
in vegetation carbon and cycle
ozone
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BENEFITS OF BIODIVERSITY:
1. Consumptive value
2. Non-consumptive value
3. Ecological services
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THREATS TO BIODIVERSITY:
1. Habitat loss and
fragmentation
2. Over-exploitation for
commercialization
3. Invasive species
4. Pollution
5. Global climate change
6. Population growth and over
consumption
7. Illegal wildlife trade
8. Species Extinction
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THREATS TO BIODIVERSITY:
1. Habitat loss (85%) and
fragmentation
• A habitat is the place where a
plant or animal naturally lives.
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THREATS TO BIODIVERSITY:
2. Over-exploitation for
commercialization
• Over-exploitation of resources
has costed more environmental
degradation than earning.
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THREATS TO BIODIVERSITY:
3. Invasive species
• Invasive species are ‘alien’ or
‘exotic’ species which are
introduced accidentally or
intentionally.
 Invasive Species in the Philippines
Joshi, R., 2019. Invasion alien species: Concerns and status in the Philippines. 2019

Leafminer (potato and ornamental plants) Potato cyst nematode

Golden apple snail Jaguar gapote

 Biodiversity and the Health
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THREATS TO BIODIVERSITY:
4. Pollution
• Pollution is a major threat to
biodiversity, and one of the most
difficult problems to overcome.
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THREATS TO BIODIVERSITY:
5. Global climate change
• Many climatologists believe that
the greenhouse effect is likely to
raise world temperatures by about
2°C by 2030, meaning that sea
levels will rise by around 30-50
cm by this time.
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THREATS TO BIODIVERSITY:
6. Population growth and
over consumption
• Rapid population growth has
meant a rapid growth in the
exploitation of natural
resources— water, foods and
minerals.
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THREATS TO BIODIVERSITY:
7. Illegal wildlife trade
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THREATS TO BIODIVERSITY:
8. Species Extinction
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Montreal Protocol

PROTOCOLS ON BIODIVERSITY
Kyoto Protocol

Cartagena Protocol

Convention on Biological Diversity