Since the discovery of the structure of DNA in 1953, biotechnology has become one and the same with the manipulation of DNA. Thanks to the revolution from the innovation of Vaccines and Antibiotics, we are able to survive from diseases like influenza that has killed millions in the past hundred years. Following of recent advancement in Biotechnology, we are able to build immunities to these diseases and healing from infections much easier.
What are Vaccines and what are they used for
Vaccines are substances that protect you from disease by increasing the production of antibodies. Antibodies are proteins that are used by our bodies immune system to identify and get rid
of pathogens like bacteria and viruses. Most vaccines contain a little bit of a disease that has either been weakened or dead however some vaccines do not contain any germs at all. Having this germ inside your body allows your body’s immune system to produce antibodies to fight off the disease. Your body can create antibodies in two ways, by getting the disease or by taking the vaccine. Taking the vaccine is a much safer way to make antibodies because you don’t have to suffer from the disease itself and risk becoming very ill or even dying. Antibodies stay with you for a long time and they remember how to fight off the disease. If the disease enters your body following a vaccine created for it, your immune system knows how to fight it off. Often, your immune system will remember how to do this (for a specific germ) for the rest of your life however there are some instances where your immune system needs another shot to remind itself how to fight disease.
Types of vaccines and how are they produced
There are multiple different ways of creating vaccines to fight a disease each with different advantages and disadvantages based on the person receiving it. The first version of vaccine is created to weaken the virus. Viruses usually cause disease by reproducing themselves many times our bodies. Vaccines with inactivated viruses don’t reproduces themselves very much so they do not cause disease. Because of this, your body still sees it and builds an immunity to it but the disease does not spread and infect the rest of the body. 
The advantage of vaccine viruses is that only one or two doses will provide immunity that is usually lifelong however the disadvantage of these types of vaccines are that they cannot be given to someone that has weakened immune systems.
Another version of vaccine is to inactivate of kill the virus. Using this method, viruses are completely inactivated with a chemical. By killing the virus, it cannot reproduce or cause disease. The immunity is built because although the virus is dead, our bodies can still see the virus and still creates antibodies. Advantages with this method are, the vaccine cannot cause even a mild form of the disease and the vaccine can be given to people with weakened immune systems. The disadvantage of creating this type of vaccine is that it has to be taken with several doses to build an immunity.
The third version of vaccine is to use only one part of the virus. Using this strategy, only one part of the virus is used as a vaccine. This method can be used because an immune response to one part of the virus is responsible for protection against disease therefor your body can create antibodies this way. Therefor, we only need one part of the virus but our body still reads it as a danger and creates antibodies. These viruses can be given to those that have weakened immune systems and these usually create a lifelong immunity after three doses.
And the last version of vaccines is to use a part of the bacteria. Some bacteria cause disease by making a protein called a toxin. Several vaccines are made by taking toxins and inactivating them with a chemical (an inactivated toxin is called a toxoid). By inactivating the toxin, it no longer causes disease however it can still be read by our bodies and therefor they can produce antibodies for the disease.
Antibiotics and its uses
Antibiotics are also used to treat diseases but that are caused by bacteria. Antibiotics are medicines that hinder bacterial growth or eliminate bacteria, and they are produced by developing and manipulating fungal cells. Antibiotics are naturally produced by microorganisms, to obtain an advantage over bacterial populations. In most classification of antibiotics, they are divided into two broad groups based on their biological effect on microorganisms. The two groups are bactericidal agents (kill bacteria), and bacteriostatic agents (slow down bacterial growth). Many antibiotics like penicillin revolutionize the way we fight off infections/diseases and makes living our lives that much easier.
Hormones and how are they used
A hormone is a substance produced in an organism to stimulate specific cells or tissues into action. Hormones act as special chemical messengers in the body and are created in the endocrine glands. These messengers control major bodily functions, simple basic needs like hunger, and even mood and emotion. The body has many different hormones, which are all important for our body’s health and well-being.
An example of advances in use of hormones is how we obtain insulin for treatment. People with diabetes cannot create their own insulin (Type A) or do not respond to their own insulin (Type B). Originally, it was only possible to treat diabetes with pig insulin however it could cause allergic reaction because of differences in the gene product. However in the last 40 years, recombinant DNA technology was used to produce large-scale quantities of human insulin. Because of this, patients with diabetes are able to be treated without receiving allergic reactions.
Conclusion:
Advancements in disease treatment over the past few years have and will change our lives forever. Developments in new vaccines, antibiotics, and treatments for diseases will make the thought of dying from viruses a past thought. New advances in hormone manipulation
References:
http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/im/vs-sv/vs-faq01-eng.php
http://www.chop.edu/centers-programs/vaccine-education-center/making-vaccines/how-are-vaccines-made
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antibiotics
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/10278.php
http://www.hormone.org/hormones-and-health/what-do-hormones-do