molecular biology

American  

noun

1. the branch of biology that deals with the nature of biological phenomena at the molecular level through the study of DNA and RNA, proteins, and other macromolecules involved in genetic information and cell function, characteristically making use of advanced tools and techniques of separation, manipulation, imaging, and analysis.

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molecular biology British  

noun

1. the study of biological phenomena at the molecular level

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molecular biology Scientific  

/ mə-lĕk′yə-lər /

1. The branch of biology that deals with the formation, structure, and function of macromolecules essential to life, such as nucleic acids and proteins, including their roles in cell replication and the transmission of genetic information.

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molecular biology Cultural  

1. The branch of science devoted to studies of the structure, function, and reactions of DNA, RNA, proteins, and other molecules involved in the life processes.

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Etymology

Origin of molecular biology

First recorded in 1935–40

Example Sentences

Studying molecular biology at one of the world's most prestigious universities, she was following in a family tradition.

From BBC • Mar. 26, 2026

He was credited for providing technical support to molecular biology research at the University of Minnesota.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 25, 2026

They then used human cells that had been reprogrammed into pluripotent stem cells through molecular biology techniques.

From Science Daily • Nov. 20, 2025

“It’s a recategorization,” said Santhosh Girirajan, a biochemistry and molecular biology professor at Pennsylvania State University and senior author of the paper.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 14, 2025

Griffith performed an experiment that, unwittingly, launched the molecular biology revolution.

From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee