molecular genetics

...This field, which seeks to elucidate the genetic control mechanisms of chemical reaction processes within the body, is called biochemical genetics and has become an important branch of genetics.
[Molecular Genetics]
In 1944, O.T. Avery and his colleagues proved that when DNA extracted from S-type bacteria was given to R-type pneumococci, they changed to S-type and that this change was stably passed on to offspring, but it took nearly 10 years for the idea that DNA is the main body of genes to be widely accepted. This was because, when considering the diversity of living organisms, there was a strong tendency at the time to think that DNA, which is made up of four types of nucleotides, was too simple to be considered the main body of genes, and therefore that proteins, which show an extremely diverse range of existence forms, were more appropriate.

*Some of the terminology that refers to "molecular genetics" is listed below.

Source | Heibonsha World Encyclopedia 2nd Edition | Information

…生体内の化学的反応過程の遺伝的支配機構を解明するこの分野は生化遺伝学とよばれ，遺伝学の重要な分野となった。
［分子遺伝学molecular genetics］
　1944年にO.T.エーブリーらはR型の肺炎双球菌にS型の菌から抽出したDNAを与えるとS型に変わり，この変化は子孫に安定して伝わることを証明したが，遺伝子の本体がDNAであるという考えが広く受け入れられるにはそれから10年近い歳月が必要であった。生物の多様性を考慮するとき，遺伝子の本体とみなすには4種のヌクレオチドで構成されるDNAはあまりにも単純に過ぎ，したがって，きわめて多様な存在形態を示すタンパク質のほうが適当と考える強い風潮が当時あったためである。…

※「molecular genetics」について言及している用語解説の一部を掲載しています。

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