Molecular Biology Online Tutorials

What is the Study of Molecular Biology?

Molecular biology explains:

Mendel's Laws of Inheritance

The Chromosome Theory of Inheritance

DNA Structure

RNA structure

The physical chemistry of nucleic acids

DNA replication

Transcription

Translation

Molecular biologists use the following investigative techniques:

Gene cloning (Making groups of identical cells or organisms)

PCR (Amplification of a gene)

Gel Electrophoresis (Separating molecules according to weight/size)

Labeled tracers (Audioradiography)

Hybridization (Southern blots, fingerprinting, sequencing)

Mapping (Quantification)

Reporter gene assays (Measures transcription rates)

DNA-Protein Interactions(Gel Mobility Shifts, DNase fingerprinting)

Knockouts (Permanently removing a gene or protein from an organism)

Knockdowns (Temporarily removing a gene or protein from an organism)

Molecular Biology

Molecular biology is the study of of gene structure and function on the molecular level. It is a combination of genetics and biochemistry and begins with the simple, yet tranformative observations of Gregor Mendel in the mid 19th century.

Technically speaking, this early work with genetics is not molecular biology as there was no direct knowledge of DNA, RNA, or proteins. Nonetheless, this early groundbreaking work is what led great sceintists to experiment with DNA recombination, the chromosomal theory of inheritance, and eventually the discovery of DNA itself. This early work by Mendel and other sceintists is commonly called Transmission Genetics because it deals with the transmission of genetic material from one generation to the next.

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