Advances of Molecular Biology
So, to start out this blog, I believe we should have a certain understanding of what molecular biology really is and what it has accomplished. Later, I will point out something specific that is happening in this day and age within the field of molecular biology.
What is molecular biology? When googled, molecular biology is defined as "the branch of biology that deals with the structure and function of the macromolecules (e.g., proteins and nucleic acids) essential to life." To get a little more clear, molecular biology helps us understand what happens within us and every other living organism. From the interrelationship of DNA to how proteins interact and are regulated, molecular biology has played a role in the understanding of these various systems. Molecular biologists usually utilize other areas of the sciences during their research, including genetics and biochemistry. This helps you understand just how connected all the sciences really are.
So, what has molecular biology really accomplished? Well to start off, everything you know about proteins and other components of the cell can most likely be attributed to molecular biology. Just think of the name of the field itself. Molecular--molecules. So, everything in the body of living organisms at the molecular level was probably due to some old molecular biologist going crazy in his lab. Molecular biology can be thanked for understanding the mechanism of DNA base pairing, protein synthesis that links DNA to the production of proteins, and for understanding the ins and outs of the central dogma. These accomplishments are just the tip of the iceberg that molecular biology has discovered.
Today, articles are being published nearly everyday with news on molecular biology. An article that I found particularly interesting was published on the Science Daily website on September 6 of this year. This article talks about a discovery that was made about the Gcn4 protein. The organism that was being studied was a S. cerevisiae yeast cell, and scientists have discovered that the Gcn4 protein, when activated, decreases the protein synthesis in the cell. This extends the life of the yeast cell and allows for future experimentation to be done to see if this extended life span can be expanded into mammalian cells. If this extension proves to remain true for all cells, scientists are hoping that this discovery can lead to controlling the occurrence of age related diseases and the aging process in general.
Molecular biology is a very important and interesting field and hopefully, within time, more people can appreciate it.
Link to article mentioned: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/09/170906103559.htm
What is molecular biology? When googled, molecular biology is defined as "the branch of biology that deals with the structure and function of the macromolecules (e.g., proteins and nucleic acids) essential to life." To get a little more clear, molecular biology helps us understand what happens within us and every other living organism. From the interrelationship of DNA to how proteins interact and are regulated, molecular biology has played a role in the understanding of these various systems. Molecular biologists usually utilize other areas of the sciences during their research, including genetics and biochemistry. This helps you understand just how connected all the sciences really are.
So, what has molecular biology really accomplished? Well to start off, everything you know about proteins and other components of the cell can most likely be attributed to molecular biology. Just think of the name of the field itself. Molecular--molecules. So, everything in the body of living organisms at the molecular level was probably due to some old molecular biologist going crazy in his lab. Molecular biology can be thanked for understanding the mechanism of DNA base pairing, protein synthesis that links DNA to the production of proteins, and for understanding the ins and outs of the central dogma. These accomplishments are just the tip of the iceberg that molecular biology has discovered.
Today, articles are being published nearly everyday with news on molecular biology. An article that I found particularly interesting was published on the Science Daily website on September 6 of this year. This article talks about a discovery that was made about the Gcn4 protein. The organism that was being studied was a S. cerevisiae yeast cell, and scientists have discovered that the Gcn4 protein, when activated, decreases the protein synthesis in the cell. This extends the life of the yeast cell and allows for future experimentation to be done to see if this extended life span can be expanded into mammalian cells. If this extension proves to remain true for all cells, scientists are hoping that this discovery can lead to controlling the occurrence of age related diseases and the aging process in general.
Molecular biology is a very important and interesting field and hopefully, within time, more people can appreciate it.
Link to article mentioned: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/09/170906103559.htm
Nice start.
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