Molecular Biology

Molecular biology is a branch of biology that deals with the composition, structure, and function of cellular molecules like proteins and nucleic acids essential for the cellular functions and mechanisms.

  • Molecular biology is primarily focused on nucleic acids like DNA and RNA, their structure, composition, expression, and interactions among themselves.
  • Molecular biology is slowly becoming an important area of research with the discovery that nucleic acids and other biomolecules play a vital role in the normal functioning of the body.
  • Molecular biology developed as a separate discipline from other branches like biochemistry, genetics, and biophysics.
  • Over the years, many techniques have been developed in molecular biology; however, researchers tend to use methods and techniques native to genetics.
  • Common techniques used in molecular biology include X-ray diffraction and electron microscopy for the determination of the three-dimensional structure of nucleic acids.
  • The discipline focuses on the molecular mechanism of genetic processes so that genes can be used for genetic engineering to isolate, modify, and sequence genes.
  • Initial studies in molecular biology were involved in the determination of three-dimensional structures of proteins in order to understand their structure and mechanism of action and expression.
  • Initial studies in molecular biology were based on the rapid growth and readily manipulable genetics of simple bacteria, such as E. coli, and their viruses. 
  • More recently, not only the fundamental principles but also many of the experimental approaches first developed in prokaryotes have been successfully applied to eukaryotic cells. 
  • Current advances in recombinant DNA technology have made even the determination of the complete sequence of the human genome a feasible project.
  • Complete genome sequencing of various living beings, including humans, has been done with modern approaches like DNA sequencing techniques and PCR.
  • Studies of molecular biology have also been applied in clinical research and medical therapies, both of which are covered under gene therapy.
  • Molecular biology also plays a vital role in studies related to regulations of various parts of a cell, which can then be used to target new drugs and diagnose diseases efficiently.