The History of Bioengineering

Traditional engineering concerns the application of math and science to improve the human condition. This includes the design and analysis of objects. Bioengineering applies concepts from science and math to living organisms in normal settings. In abnormal settings, objects and structures can be designed to enhance human performance. Bioengineering affects numerous aspects of life through medical and environmental factors, states Hermine Smikle in a 2008 Mathematics in Bioengineering article.

Biological Engineering

• Whether known as bioengineering, biological engineering, biomedical engineering, biotechnology or other names, the science has had an impact on food production, medicine and the environment.

  A simple definition of biotechnology is humans' use of organisms. This is a centuries-old practice now known by terms such as cloning. Whenever a human removes a leaf and uses it to produce a new plant, it is a form of cloning. The technology of this science has now reached the atomic level through genetic engineering, writes Smikle.

Pace of Development

• The pace of development in biotechnology is increasing at a rapid rate in modern times. The Biotechnology Institute lists four events from the B.C. era. Then from 1590 to 1833 there were eight historical events in biotechnology. From 1855 to 1888 there were again eight events. In the first half of the 20th century there were 18. In the 1950s and 1960s 12 notable biotechnology events occurred. By 1970, the advances became numerous enough to be listed by decade. In 1980s and 1990s numerous events took place each year. It would be difficult to single out those that are the most important, according to the Biotechnology Institute.

Biotechnology Events Time Line

• The Biotechnology Institute begins its biotechnology time line with the Sumerians brewing of beer in 1750. By 500 B.C., the Chinese were using an antibiotic in the form of soybean curd to treat boils. The Greeks practiced crop rotation as of 250 B.C., and the Chinese made an insecticide from powdered chrysanthemum in 100 B.C.

  In 1590 A.D., Janssen invented the microscope. Hooke described cells in 1663 and Leeuwenhoek discovered protozoa and bacteria in 1675. By 1802, the word "biology" had appeared. In 1863, Mendel studied genetics through the traits of peas. In 1883, the rabies vaccine was invented.

  These represent only a portion of the important discoveries in the field.

The 20th Century

• In 1914, bacteria were used to treat sewage in England. Fleming discovered penicillin in 1928. The electron microscope was used in 1942 to study a virus that infects bacteria. In 1944, DNA was discovered to be the material substance of genes, as the Biotechnology Institute time line continues.

  By 1953, the 3D structure of DNA was revealed. The genetic code was first understood in 1964. The similarity of human DNA composition to that of chimps and gorillas was noted in 1972. By 1977, engineered bacteria was used to synthesize human growth hormone.

  The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 1980 that engineered life forms could be patented. DNA fingerprinting was developed in 1984. By 1997, Scottish engineers had cloned a sheep. Three generations of mice were cloned in 1998. The complete genetic code of human chromosomes was decoded in 1999. The sheep cloned in 1997 was euthanized due to lung disease in 2003.

Biomedical Engineering

• In broad terms, biomedical engineering may date back 3,000 or more years. In the year 2000 (A.D.), German archaeologists unearthed a mummy from ancient Thebes that had what appeared to be a prosthetic tied to the foot to serve as a big toe, according to The Whitaker Foundation.

  A French physician used a rolled-up newspaper in 1816 to listen to a patient's chest, which led to the idea for the stethoscope. Biomedical engineering has passed through other rudimentary developments such as crutches, wooden teeth and platform shoes. In the mid-19th century, the resistance of muscle and nervous tissue to electrical current was discovered, leading to electrophysiology. Roentgen accidentally discovered a cathode-ray tube could emit a penetrating ray that could pass through a wall. This led to the development of the X-ray.

  After World War II, committees began meeting and combining ideas from medicine and engineering. By 2006, there were an estimated 32,000 bioengineers addressing a variety of areas related to health technology, according to The Whitaker Foundation.