Molecular Biology and Genetics

Introduction to Molecular Medicine 1. What is Molecular Medicine? Molecular medicine is a discipline that studies normal and abnormal cellular processes at the molecular level . It combines knowledge from: Cell and molecular biology Biochemistry Medicine Chemistry, physics, and computational biology The main aim is to understand how molecules like DNA, RNA, proteins, and metabolites function in health and how they change in disease. 2. Scope of Molecular Medicine Molecular medicine has two main branches : Basic Research – Scientists investigate how DNA, RNA, proteins, and other biomolecules control what happens inside cells. For example: how genes are turned on/off, how proteins fold, or how mutations cause disease. They study  Cellular function  like cell growth, division, signaling, energy production, and communication with other cells. Scientists first propose a specific explanation (a hypothesis), then design experiments to test whether i...

  Prokaryotic Cell Structure and Function The living world has two main types of cells: prokaryotic and eukaryotic . Prokaryotic cells are simple cells. They have no true nucleus and no membrane-bound organelles . Bacteria are typical examples of prokaryotic cells. They consist of a single compartment enclosed by a plasma membrane . Prokaryotes are of Two Main Groups Eubacteria (True Bacteria) Includes common bacteria and cyanobacteria (“blue-green algae”); They are prokaryotic (bacteria), not true algae, even though they were historically grouped with algae due to their photosynthetic ability. Archaea Live in extreme environments (e.g., high salt, high temperature, acidic places). Have unique cell membrane composition different from bacteria and eukaryotes. ( ether-linked lipids (vs. ester-linked in bacteria and eukaryotes) General Structure of a Prokaryotic Cell Size: Small, usually 1–2 μm . Cell membrane (plasma membrane): ...