McDougal Littell - Biology

"Chemical Biology"

Chemistry and biology have long been closely intertwined in the study of how proteins and nucleic acids work in a cell. But a new area of study – “chemical biology” – is revolutionizing our understanding of how cells work, especially when it comes to the role of previously underappreciated small molecules that control cellular processes. For example, many cellular processes involve cascades of enzymes activating each other, but smaller molecules often act as gatekeepers in this process, determining whether reactions will run at all or at what rate they run. Understanding the role of small molecules in biochemistry and cell biology is a new frontier that promises not only to fundamentally change our understanding of cell and molecular biology but also to provide new methods of creating drugs to benefit a whole range of medical issues.