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AAT Bioquest

What are the differences between cell biology and molecular biology?

Posted September 18, 2023


Answer

Cell Biology and molecular biology are two distinctly different fields of biology. 

Cell biology

  • Is a field of biology that studies the behavior and cellular mechanisms of living cells in terms of their anatomy, morphology, and physiology
  • Uses techniques such as microscopy and scanning to study prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells and cell functions
  • Plays a crucial role in identifying morphological features and behavioral patterns in cells in response to environmental, metabolic, and chemical exposure

Molecular biology

  • Is a field of biology that is based on the central dogma of life
  • Uses techniques such as PCR (polymerase chain reaction), sequencing, and gel electrophoresis to study molecular level mechanisms such as understanding the relationship between DNA, RNA, and proteins
  • Is an important diagnostic tool 
  • Plays a crucial role in identifying and confirming most morphological and metabolic conditions 
Additional resources

The Eighth Day of Creation: looking back across 40 years to the birth of molecular biology and the roots of modern cell biology

DNA and RNA Quantitation

Helixyte™ Green ssDNA reagent