Sessions

Molecular Biology

Molecular biology is the field of biology that studies living things at the level of the molecules which control them and make them up. While traditional biology concentrated on studying whole living organisms and how they interact within populations (a “top down” approach), molecular biology strives to understand living things by examining the components that make them up (a “bottom up” approach). Both approaches to biology are equally valid, although improvements to technology have permitted scientists to concentrate more on the molecules of life in recent years. Molecular biology chiefly concerns itself with understanding the interactions between the various systems of a cell, including the interrelationship of DNA, RNA and protein synthesis and learning how these interactions are regulated. The field overlaps with other areas of biology and chemistry, particularly genetics and biochemistry. As a result, molecular biology techniques are at the forefront of most cutting edge scientific research.