Molecular biology is the branch of biology that focuses on life form’s molecular basis of biological activity.
The terms “molecule” and “biology” were new in the mid-nineteenth century. Although “molecule” appeared once and “biology” never appeared, neither term was defined in the Origin of Species Glossary. Nor did Charles Darwin refer to proteins or genes, nor “mutation” in a non-molecular sense.
Molecular Biology
The term was coined nearly eighty years later by the director of Natural Sciences, Warren Weaver, of the Rockefeller Foundation in 1938. At the time, acceptance of Gregor Mendel’s chromosome theory of heredity, a gene-centric perspective of biology was emerging.
Molecular biology emerged to address questions regarding the mechanisms of genetic inheritance and the structure of a gene.
The race was on when James Watson and Francis Crick described the double-helical structure of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) using X-ray crystallography technology in 1953.
Paleobiology
Early in the twenty-first century, a new field in paleontology emerged, known as paleobiology. Paleobiology studies preserved soft tissues and cell structures and studies preserved biomolecular complexes. Studying biomolecular comparisons between similar species gives insight into their biological history.
DNA and RNA
Throughout the late twentieth century, scientists continued learning about DNA and ribonucleic acid (RNA) structures and functions, focusing on the molecular basis of mutation and inheritance.
By early in the twenty-first century, modern molecular biology entered a golden age. Mapping gene locations on chromosomes, associating genes with functions from behavior to morphology, and exploring genetic engineering were new tools to study evolution.
Evidence from the field of molecular biology to validate the theory of evolution scientifically, however, remains a speculative field of study.
Molecular Biology is a subcategory of Evolution and Science.
Testing Molecular Biology Evidence
To understand how evidence from molecular biology challenges the theory of evolution, click to read the following –
-
-
-
-
- Phylogenetics of Coronaviruses
- Origin of Bioluminescence
- Whale Evolution Nightmare
- Zika Virus
- New Evolution Nightmare
- R2d2 Disses Darwin
- Natural Selection Unfriends Darwin
- Malarial Evolution Nightmare
- Evolution Bug
- Unpredictable Influenza Virus
- CRISPR Challenges the Tenets of Evolution Theory
- Genetics of Darwin’s Finches
- Genetic Origins Uncoding Evolution
- Evolution of Insect Genetics
- Mutation + Selection = Stasis
- Algae Defy Darwin
- Ancient Microbe Resistance
- Gene Duplication-Driven Evolution
- Evolutionary Tree of Life
- Turtle Genome
- Coelacanth Genome
- New Bird Tree of Life
- Junk DNA Theory
- Sea Star Evolution
- Gorilla Genome Sequence
- Butterfly Nightmare
- Fruit Fly Genetics Research, 100 Years Later
- RNA World
- Chimp Genetics
- Darwin, DNA, and the Neanderthals
- Evolution of Molecular Clocks
-
-
-
Darwin Then and Now is an educational resource on the intersection of evolution and science and the challenges facing the theory of evolution.
Links
- Glossary defines terms associated with explaining the theory of biological evolution.
- Understanding Evolution is a journey that showcases how different investigative approaches play a pivotal role in enriching our understanding of the process, leading to diverse conclusions.
- Studying Evolution delves into the terms species and natural selection and how they have changed since The Origin of Species was published in 1859.
- What is Science investigates Charles Darwin’s approach to science and how the principles of modern science are used for different investigative purposes.
- The Evolution and Science category features articles studying how the intersection of evolution and science influences the current understanding of evolution.
- The Theory and Consensus category features articles examining how scientific findings are influencing the scientific consensus on the essential tenets of evolution, including Natural Selection.
