ABSTRACT
The original DNA revolution indicated the nature of molecular storage of information in the cell. How this information is to be incorporated into specific protein molecules so that understanding was achieved of how the structural elements and machinery of the simplest living cell could be constructed. Somatic cell genetics was invented to acquire the necessary information about the genetic structure and function of the complex organisms like the mammals. Together with the new approaches of recombinant DNA technology and new methods for analysis of the patterns of protein biosynthesis in the complex mammalian cells, many new levels of understanding are being achieved. New general methods are available which promise to unlock many or most of the critical pathways. Finally, application of cellular genetics and molecular biology to the nervous system is opening up new approaches to understanding of the mind.
