Biotechnology is one of the fastest growing areas of science and technology and has already produced products (and profits) that would have seemed miraculous only 20 years ago. Biotechnology is also, however, a complex combination of scientific disciplines beset by jargon and buzz words. This is a practical introduction to the ideas and terminology of biotechnology. It uses non-technical language to unravel the jargon for the non-specialist and explains over 1000 terms in 250 short entries.