Some of the examples include the use of saliva to control bleeding and to prevent further infection, use of liver extracts as a tonic, the use of herbal products as antidepressants, anti-hypertensive and as other medicines and the practice of aquapuncture in China.

Veterinarians and animal breeders also made use of pedigree records to bring about improvement in farm animals and livestock. All this old knowledge base became the basis of future development and advancement in the field of biotechnology.

Four different phases of biotechnology research were witnessed during the last century. In 1920s a beginning was made for the production of useful chemicals through biological processes,

when Chaim Weizmann used Clostridium acetobutylicum for the conversion of starch into butanol and acetone (acetone thus produced was used as an essential component of explosives during World War I).

Proteomics, had its birth in mid-1990s, and has now become the most important component of all research in the area of biology in general and biotechnology in particular.

In recent years (1980-2003), biotechnology and genomics had a major impact on human welfare,' and it is believed that in future, this subject of study may become a major force for human existence.

Some of the programmes of research and current uses of biotechnology and genomics.

It is apparent from the variety of programmes in this table, that the products of biotechnology and genomics are already playing an important role in generating employment, and in improving productivity, trade, economics and the quality of human life all over the world.

This trend is going to continue for another few decades, so that in the present century, biotechnology and genomics will dominate all areas of science and technology.