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Molecular biology /məˈlɛkjʊlər/ 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.[1][2][3]
Though cells and other microscopic structures had been observed in living organisms as early as the 18th century, a detailed understanding of the mechanisms and interactions governing their behavior did not emerge until the 20th century, when technologies used in physics and chemistry had advanced sufficiently to permit their application in the biological sciences. The term 'molecular biology' was first used in 1945 by the English physicist William Astbury, who described it as an approach focused on discerning the underpinnings of biological phenomena—i.e. uncovering the physical and chemical structures and properties of biological molecules, as well as their interactions with other molecules and how these interactions explain observations of so-called classical biology, which instead studies biological processes at larger scales and higher levels of organization.[4] In 1953 Francis Crick, James Watson, Rosalind Franklin, and their colleagues at the Medical Research Council Unit, Cavendish Laboratory, were the first to describe the double helix model for the chemical structure of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), which is often considered a landmark event for the nascent field because it provided a physico-chemical basis by which to understand the previously nebulous idea of nucleic acids as the primary substance of biological inheritance. They proposed this structure based on previous research done by Franklin, which was conveyed to them by Maurice Wilkins and Max Perutz.[5] Their work led to the discovery of DNA in other microorganisms, plants, and animals.[6]
The field of molecular biology includes techniques which enable scientists to learn about molecular processes.[7] These techniques are used to efficiently target new drugs, diagnose disease, and better understand cell physiology.[8] 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.
- ^ Alberts B, Johnson A, Lewis J, Morgan D, Raff M, Roberts K, Walter P (2014). Molecular Biology of the Cell, Sixth Edition. Garland Science. pp. 1–10. ISBN 978-1-317-56375-4.
- ^ Gannon F (February 2002). "Molecular biology--what's in a name?". EMBO Reports. 3 (2): 101. doi:10.1093/embo-reports/kvf039. PMC 1083977. PMID 11839687.
- ^ "Molecular biology – Latest research and news | Nature". nature.com. Retrieved 2021-11-07.
- ^ Astbury, W. T. (June 1961). "Molecular Biology or Ultrastructural Biology ?". Nature. 190 (4781): 1124. Bibcode:1961Natur.190.1124A. doi:10.1038/1901124a0. ISSN 1476-4687. PMID 13684868. S2CID 4172248.
- ^ "Rosalind Franklin: A Crucial Contribution". nature.com.
- ^ Verma, P. S. (2004). Cell biology, genetics, molecular biology, evolution and ecology. S Chand and Company. ISBN 81-219-2442-1. OCLC 1045495545.
- ^ Morange, Michel (2016-02-15), "History of Molecular Biology", eLS, Chichester, UK: John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, pp. 1–8, doi:10.1002/9780470015902.a0003079.pub3, ISBN 9780470016176, retrieved 2021-11-07
- ^ Bello, Elizabeth A.; Schwinn, Debra A. (1996-12-01). "Molecular Biology and Medicine: A Primer for the Clinician". Anesthesiology. 85 (6): 1462–1478. doi:10.1097/00000542-199612000-00029. ISSN 0003-3022. PMID 8968195. S2CID 29581630.