title: [From Miescher to molecular DNA technology; a chapter from the medical history of the past century].
abstract: Although molecular biology is a young discipline, it originated in the second half of the 19th century with the simultaneous discoveries of the laws of heredity by Mendel and of nucleic acid by Miescher. It was not until about 1950 that the structure of DNA was determined and it was proved that DNA governs the hereditary properties. Subsequently, the developments followed in rapid succession with the unravelling of the hereditary code, the elucidation of the mechanism of the translation of DNA into proteins, the discovery of the structure of genes and the finding of the methods for genetic manipulation. These have proved essential for the evolution of modern biotechnology.
authors.affiliation: Institut Universitaire de Pathologie, Lausanne, Zwitserland.
authors.forename: F T
authors.initials: FT
authors.lastname: Bosman
mesh_terms: D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry / Q000266:history*; D005823:Genetics / Q000266:history*; D049672:History, 19th Century; D049673:History, 20th Century; D008967:Molecular Biology / Q000266:history*
chemical_list: D004247:DNA