ANSWER: | Scientists do basic research in laboratory and field settings to understand how something works or why it works the way it does. In basic research, there is no immediate goal of solving a practical problem or making a commercial product; knowledge itself is the goal. In turn, the results of basic research generate new ideas and more basic research. In this way, we gain detailed information about the structure and function of cells, why animals behave in certain ways, and how plants turn carbon dioxide into sugar. Among other things, basic research in genetics has provided us with details about genes, how they work, and, more importantly, what happens when they don’t work properly.
Applied research is usually done to solve a practical problem or turn a discovery into a commercial service or product. Applied research uses basic methods such as transmission genetics to study the way in which a trait is inherited, and it also uses biotechnology to make products such as transgenic organisms, medicines, and nutritionally enhanced foods. In agriculture, applied genetic research has increased crop yields, lowered the fat content of pork, and created new forms of corn and soybeans that are resistant to herbicides and pests. In medicine, new diagnostic tests, the synthesis of customized proteins for treating disease, and the production of vaccines are just a few examples of applied genetic research. |
