ABSTRACT
This chapter provides first a historical perspective on the origins of molecular biology. A historical perspective is important because the emergence of molecular biology has radically altered how living systems are viewed by scientists and biomedical engineers. It is thus useful for a biomedical engineer to be acquainted with the evolution of the discipline in order to fully appreciate the technological and
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social impact of molecular biology. For example, a mechanistic basis for the origin of many diseases can now be established, which paves the way for developing new treatments. It is also now possible to manipulate living systems for technological purposes, such as developing bacteria that can produce the therapeutic, human insulin. Acquiring the capability to manipulate the genetic potential of organisms and ultimately humans also raises new important ethical issues (see Section VII, Ethics). After summarizing the major historical developments, the“Central Dogma of Molecular Biology”will be presented and salient mechanistic details will be provided. This chapter concludes with some largely stable Internet resources that can provide quick definitions of terms, documentaries of prominent molecular biologists and their accomplishments, as well as other useful resources that can be used while reading this section.
