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Category
Molecular biology
Summary
Molecular biology məˈlɛkjʊlər is the study of chemical and physical structure of biological macromolecules. It is a branch of biology that seeks to understand the molecular basis of biological activity in and between cells, including biomolecular synthesis, modification, mechanisms, and interactions.
Molecular biology was first described as an approach focused on the underpinnings of biological phenomena—uncovering the structures of biological molecules as well as their interactions, and how these interactions explain observations of classical biology.
The term molecular biology was first used in 1945 by physicist William Astbury. In 1953 Francis Crick, James Watson, Rosalind Franklin, and colleagues working at the Medical Research Council Unit, Cavendish Laboratory, created the double helix model of DNA. They proposed the DNA structure based on previous research done by Franklin and Maurice Wilkins. This led to the discovery of DNA material in other microorganisms, plants, and animals.
The field of molecular biology includes techniques which enable scientists to learn about molecular processes. These techniques are be used to efficiently target new drugs, diagnose disease, and better understand cell physiology. Some clinical research and medical therapies arising from molecular biology are covered under gene therapy whereas the use of molecular biology or molecular cell biology in medicine is now referred to as molecular medicine.
History of molecular biology
Molecular biology sits at the intersection of biochemistry and genetics; as these scientific disciplines emerged and evolved in the 20th century, it became clear that they both sought to determine the molecular mechanisms which underlie vital cellular functions. Advances in molecular biology have been closely related to the development of new technologies and their optimization. Molecular biology has been elucidated by the work of many scientists, and thus the history of the field depends on an understanding of these scientists and their experiments.
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