molecular biology

noun

: a branch of biology dealing with the ultimate physicochemical organization of living matter and especially with the molecular basis of inheritance and protein synthesis

molecular biologist noun

Examples of molecular biology in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Officials said the fire broke out on property maintained by the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, a federal lab about 40 miles southeast of downtown Oakland that conducts experiments on nuclear reactions, lasers, atomic structure and molecular biology. —Christopher Cann, USA TODAY, 3 June 2024

After playing critical roles in the early development of molecular biology, a number of phages have been developed as potential therapies to be used when antibiotic resistance limits the effectiveness of traditional medicines. —John Timmer, Ars Technica, 14 June 2024

Tran — who was part of Wisconsin's class of 2020 — earned her bachelor's of science in molecular biology and was a member of the Alpha Phi sorority, according to her LinkedIn profile. —Hannah Kirby, Journal Sentinel, 3 June 2024

Their daughter is studying business and marketing; their son, molecular biology. —Mark Pazniokas, Hartford Courant, 16 Apr. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1884, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

molecular biology

noun

: a branch of biology that investigates the structure and function of usually large molecules (as DNA and proteins) of living matter in order to understand their role in biological processes (as inheritance and cell function)

Medical Definition

molecular biology

noun

: a branch of biology dealing with the study and understanding of biological activity and processes at the molecular level and especially the molecular basis of gene function and protein synthesis

Molecular biology experiments proved that small pieces of DNA did sometimes move within or between chromosomes, thereby triggering changes in gene expression.

—John Rennie, Scientific American

The test is based on several recent advances in molecular biology, including the new insight that cells slip into the uncontrolled growth known as cancer through defects in specific enzymes that monitor and control division.

—Lawrence K. Altman, The New York Times