Molecular Biotechnology

Molecular Biotechnology will dominate science and technology in the 21st Century. Molecular biotechnologists will provide solutions to some of the most challenging and pressing problems facing humanity including prevention and control of human, animal and plant diseases, reversal of environmental degradation and feeding the world’s population. Genes are often interrupted by stretches of DNA (introns, blue) that do not contain instructions for making a protein.The DNA segments that do contain protein-making instructions are known as exons (green). Several types of RNA play key roles in making a protein. The gene transcript (the mRNA) transfers information from DNA in the nucleus to the ribosomes that make protein. Ribosomal RNA forms about 60 per cent of the ribosomes. Lastly, transfer RNA carries amino acids to the ribosomes. The most important feature of DNA is that it is usually composed of two polynucleotide chains twisted around each other in the form of a double helix. The upper part of the figure presents the structure of the double helix shown in a schematic form. This book is an interdisciplinary area of research animal, plant, cell biology and medicine. The overall objective of this publication is to provide a professional level reference work with comprehensive coverage of the molecular basis of life and the application of that knowledge in genetics, evolution, medicine, and agriculture.