The only introduction to biotechnology on the market today, this timely book has an easy-to-comprehend style that makes it suitable for readers with or without a background in biology. While emphasizing biotechnology's core principles and practices, its cyber-based approach provides a built-in mechanism for updating information in the rapidly evolving biotech field, keeping this book from becoming current and timely. Taking the approach that DNA is universal and can be transferred across natural genetic barriers, this book covers the following topics in the field of biotechnology: the nature of living things and the principles of manipulating them; enabling technologies; different approaches of biotechnology; specific applications such as agricultural (plants and animals), medical, judicial, industrial, and environmental; and social issues such as risk and regulations, ethical implications, developing economies, and biowarfare. This is an excellent reference tool for biotech professionals and those working in the fields of agriculture, medicine, environmental science, nutrition, and health.