Molecular biology is the study of the structure function, and makeup of the molecular building blocks of life. It focuses on the interactions between the various systems of a cell, including the interrelationship of DNA, RNA and protein synthesis and how these interactions are regulated. Molecular biology is closely interrelated with the fields of biochemistry, genetics and cell biology.
An ambitious international effort in molecular biology began in 1990 with the initiation of the now-completed Human Genome Project (HGP). Its goal was to discover all the estimated 20,000 to 25,000 human genes and make them accessible for further biological study. Another project goal was to determine the complete sequence of the three billion DNA subunits (bases in the human genome).
DNA identification is especially important in civil cases to establish paternity/maternity of an individual and also to in Forensics to confirm/refute the presence of a suspect at a crime scene and to identify accident victims
