(Scientific American Introduction to Molecular Medicine.) Edited by Joseph B. Martin. 321 pp., illustrated. New York, Scientific American Library, 1998. $69. ISBN 0-89454-030-0.
Molecular biology began as a scientific discipline with thediscovery of the double helical structure of DNA by Watson andCrick in 1953 and the establishment of the complete geneticcode by Nirenberg in 1966. In rapid succession came the discoveriesof the first sequence-specific restriction endonucleases, recombinantDNA molecules, plasmid vectors for cloning, identification ofspecific DNA sequences by the Southern blot technique, DNA-sequencingmethods, genetic-linkage analysis, positional cloning, and thepolymerase chain reaction. These molecular methods have enteredthe clinical arena with great success and have provided molecularinsights into the mechanisms of disease that were undreamedof . . . [Full Text of this Article]
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