Opening Address: Evolution and Molecular Biology

Abstract

The evolution of molecular genetics can be classified into several periods that can be corresponded to periods in the history of civilization as the primitive period, the classic period, the renaissance, and the modern period. The primitive period would be the pre-Mendel times, and the classic period would be the period of Morgan during which the primary emphasis was on the material basis of heredity and the mechanism of inheritance via genes and chromosomes. The renaissance would be the period during which emphasis shifted toward gene action, which was initiated to a significant extent by the recognition of the potentialities and utility of microorganisms. During this period the concepts of gene action in terms of biochemistry of the cell were developed, as symbolized by the “one gene–one enzyme” concept. The modern period, that of molecular biology, or the “age of DNA,” was characterized by the successful attempt to delineate in detail the molecular structures, processes, and forces that underlie the specificity, replication, and functioning of hereditary material.