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.

---

molecular biology British  

noun

1. the study of biological phenomena at the molecular level

---

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.

---

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.

---

Etymology

Origin of molecular biology

First recorded in 1935–40

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

molecular biology

He says: "Someone who's got a degree in molecular biology has one kind of expertise, but someone who's got lived experience has got another kind."

From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026

Additional experiments involving electron microscopy, molecular biology, and electrophysiology revealed another surprise.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 20, 2026

Lev Sercarz developed it with Kanchan Koya, a spice specialist and culinary influencer with a Ph.D. in molecular biology from Harvard.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 16, 2026

At a time when applying molecular biology to psychiatric questions was still considered bold, Dr. Nestler and colleague Dr. Ron Duman recognized that the field was ready for a new scientific direction.

From Science Daily ● Dec. 13, 2025

This strategy, which also works well in chemistry and molecular biology, is so identified with science in the minds of many people that experimentation is often held to be the essence of the scientific method.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond