(Hopefully 1st in a series of molecular biology topics, explained)
           
            Let’s face it – science is confusing. So many unfamiliar terms and acronyms, it’s impossible to keep up. Especially if your college major didn’t require you to wear a lab coat. Biology can be the worst offender of the weekend science enthusiast, and with good reason. By its very nature, the study of life involves details – how things survive. That detail lends itself to a rather complex maze of DNA, genes and proteins – the field of molecular biology. But all is not lost. The principles behind the basic essence of life can be decoded without the use of the Rosetta Stone. Here’s hoping the following pages provide at least some illumination in the unusually dark cavern that is molecular biology.          
            Almost everyone has heard of DNA, the mystical three-letter entity that governs all life. Genes are another commonly used word that often lands in our laps without warning. But what exactly are these things, and what do they mean? Simply put, DNA consists of four “letters” (C, G, A, and T), each of which is shorthand for a specific chemical. These letters are arranged in countless sequences in every cell in our bodies. Genes are merely functional units of DNA – letters arranged and grouped into a unit that performs some kind of function. It has often been said that DNA is the “book of life,” and if DNA are the letters in this book, then genes are the words. Letters mean nothing without organization, and genes do that job quite well. But there is more to it than that. There is also another player in the mix – a molecule called RNA, the lesser cousin of DNA. People rarely talk about RNA, but it is copied from DNA, much like an original manuscript is copied for publication. These multiple copies of the book of life are then sent out to the general public, who read and enjoy. This is the final piece of the puzzle – our devoted readers, a.k.a. proteins. Proteins are the business end of the entire process. They are the ones responsible for actually doing the things that genes “tell” them to do. They even help ensure that any transmitted information is accurate, just like a devoted reader who catches a typo.
            Those who have read this far may be shocked to learn that this is the central principle of molecular biology, broken down into digestible form. Information from DNA (and genes) is converted to RNA, which is converted into proteins. Sharp-minded readers will undoubtedly ask why every living being on this planet even bothers with converting information multiple times. The answer to that is simple – the cell does not want its original copy of the book of life to be damaged while being read. Similar to a rare first-edition, DNA is safely guarded. The distributed copy – RNA – can be widely read (and even damaged) without complications.  
            The process of converting DNA to RNA to proteins is best visualized by thinking of an unrelated topic entirely: DVD players. We have all had the experience of trying to properly connect one of these things, relying on the instruction manual for guidance. Think of DNA as that instruction manual. The words on the page are converted to meaningful thoughts when you read them (RNA), and your hands do the proper tasks (proteins).
            All these analogies are designed with one thing in mind: to help the weekend science enthusiast gain a basic understanding of molecular biology. With this information in hand, the intelligent layman can tackle even the most technical science article.