Molecular biology is the branch of biology that deals with the structure and function of macromolecules, such as proteins, nucleic acids, and carbohydrates, which are essential to the workings of all living cells.
The field of molecular biology can be traced back to the early 20th century, when scientists first began to learn about the chemical makeup of cells and how they functioned. In the 1930s and 1940s, scientists such as Max Delbrück, Ernst Boris Chain, Salvador Luria, and Alfred Hershey made groundbreaking discoveries about viruses and bacteria. These discoveries laid the foundation for modern molecular biology.
In 1953, James Watson and Francis Crick discovered the double helix structure of DNA, which provided a mechanism for heredity. This discovery was followed by many others that helped elucidate the role of DNA in genetic inheritance. Molecular biologists also began to unravel the mechanisms by which genes are expressed and how proteins are synthesized.
Today, molecular biologists use a variety of techniques to study biological molecules at a level of detail that was unimaginable just a few decades ago. They can now sequence entire genomes (the complete set of an organism’s DNA), study gene expression in individual cells, observe protein interactions in real time using powerful microscopes, and much more.
The advances made in molecular biology have had an enormous impact on our understanding of life at its most basic level. This knowledge has been used to develop new treatments for diseases, create more efficient crops, produce cleaner energy sources, and even bring extinct species back to life (in some cases). It is safe to say that molecular biology will continue to play a central role in improving our quality of life in the years to come.