Molecular Biology

Molecular biology studies the basics of organisms’ vital activity at the level of macromolecules. The aim of molecular biology is to establish the role and mechanisms of functioning of these macromolecules on the basis of knowledge about their structures and properties. Historically, molecular biology was formed during the development of the branches of biochemistry studying nucleic acids and proteins. While biochemistry studies metabolism, chemical composition of living cells, organisms and chemical processes carried out in them, molecular biology focuses on the study of mechanisms of transmission, reproduction and storage of genetic information. The object of study of molecular biology is nucleic acids themselves - deoxyribonucleic (DNA), ribonucleic (RNA) - and proteins, as well as their macromolecular complexes - chromosomes, ribosomes, multienzyme systems that provide biosynthesis of proteins and nucleic acids. Molecular biology also borders on the objects of research and partially coincides with molecular genetics, virology, biochemistry and a number of other related biological sciences.