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6000 BCE
Lactic Acid Producing Bacteria
In 6000 BCE, many different cultures began to make cheese and yogurt using lactic acid producing bacteria. -
Cells
Robert Hooke discovered cells. He then came up with the cell theory which contains three points.
1. The cell is the smallest living unit in all organisms.
2. All living things are made of cells.
3. All cells come from cells. -
Improving lenses
Anton Van Leeuwenhock improved the lenses on microscopes by making them zoom in more clearly. -
Bacteria and Protozoa
Anton Van Leeuwenhock discovered bacteria and protozoa in water by using a water sample. He called the protozoa (single celled organisms) 'animalcules'. -
Viral Vaccine
Edward Jenner uses the first viral vaccine to cure a young child who was infected with small pox. This opened up many people to be saved from smallpox. -
Plant Cells
Matthias Schließen discovered that all plants were made up of many different types of cells. -
Animal Cells
Theodor Schwann discovered that all animals were made of many cells. -
Living Things
Rudolph Virchow stated in the cell theory that all things living come from other living things. -
Fermentation
Louis Pasteur discovers the bacterial origin of fermentation. This opens up the making of pasteurization. -
Laws of Inheritance
Gregor Mendel discovers the law of inheritance by studying pea plants. The three laws are:
1. the law of dominance
2. the law of segegration
3. the law of independent assortment -
Bacteria Staining
Robert Koch developed a new technique in science to stain bacteria so it can be identified easier. This is significant because it helps bring a lot of research to biology. -
Vaccines against bacteria
Louis Pasteur developed a vaccine. This vaccine kills the bacteria in chickens that causes cholera and anthrax. This prevents many chickens from dying. -
Rabies Vaccine
Louis Pasteur and Emile Roux developed the first rabies vaccine. They used this on Joseph Meister, who was infected with rabies. This worked and cured him. This prevents many deaths from rabies. -
Biotechnology
A Hungarian engineer, Karl Ereky, first uses the word biotechnology. Biotechnology means the exploitation of biological processes for industrial and other purposes. -
First Antibiotic Created
Alexander Flemming discovered that there could be something to prevent the duplication of bacteria. He then created the first antibiotic, which was penicillin. Antibiotics are used a lot today and it has saved many peoples lives. -
DNA Discovery
In 1953, the double helix structure of DNA was described by James Watson and Francis Crick. This was significant in making molecular biology more popular to study. This also helped genetics become a science. -
Recombinant DNA Experiment
Two scientists, Stanley Norman Cohen and Herbert Boyer, performed the first recombinant DNA experiment. This helped us learn more about genetics and eventually help with the creation of genetically modified organisms. -
Cloning Patent
The United States patent for gene cloning was given to Cohen and Boyer, the men who did the first recombinant DNA experiment. This helps cloning happen. -
Humulin
Genentech's human insulin drug, Humulin, was produced by genetically engineered bacteria for treating diabetes. This was the first biotechnology drug to be approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). -
PCR Technique
The Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) is created. This is a technique used in the lab to make multiple copies of a segment of DNA. -
Flavr Savr Tomato
The United States FDA approves the first genetically modified food to be sold which was the Flavr Savr Tomato. This tomato was supposed to have a harder outside and a stronger shelf life. -
Dolly
Dolly was the first cloned animal ever. This happened in 1997, at the Roslin Institute. This is very significant to science because it helped scientists know that cloning was achievable for animals. -
Human Genome Project Rough Draft
The rough draft for the human genome project was completed. This was research to determine the sequence of nucleotide base pairs that make up the human DNA. -
Human Genome Project
"Science and Nature" magazine publishes the draft of the human genome sequence created by Celera Genomics and the Human Genome Project. -
Crops have genome decoded
Rice became the first crop ever to have it's genome decoded. This is significant because it helps scientists figure out how to decode other genomes. -
Human Genome Project Completed
The Human Genome Project is completed. This provided us information on the sequence of the human genes with all 46 chromosomes. This is significant because now we have a lot of information on our DNA. -
Dental problems
Biotechnology researchers are starting to believe that human dental problems can be caused from changes to ecology of the microbial community in the mouth.
