Biotechnology: A Promising Tool for Conservation of Phytodiversity
Manisha Thapliya
Biodiversity Division, Institute of Forest Genetics and Tree Breeding, Coimbatore-641 002, India.
Modhumita Ghosh
Plant Biotechnology Division, Institute of Forest Genetics and Tree Breeding, Coimbatore-641 002, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Biological diversity is the wealth of life on earth, the millions of plants, animals and microorganisms, the genes they contain, and the intricate ecosystems they help build into the living environment. Biological diversity is the end result of four billion years of evolution and is the natural wealth of the world. It also refers to the variety and variability among living organisms and the ecological diversity, these are organized at many levels, ranging from complete ecosystems to the chemical structures that are the molecular basis of heredity. Thus, the term encompasses different ecosystems, species, genes and their relative abundance.