The importance of biology in medicine. Communication of biology with medicine

Medicine of the XXI century is almost completely based on the achievements of biology. Groups of scientists who are engaged in such branches of science as genetics, molecular biology, immunology, biotechnology, contribute to the development of modern methods of combating diseases. This proves the connection between biology and medicine.

Biology plays a big role in the development of medicine

Modern biological discoveries allow humanity to reach a fundamentally new level in the development of medicine. For example, Japanese scientists were able to isolate and propagate naturally the stem cells obtained from the tissues of an ordinary average man. Such discoveries, of course, can affect the future medicine.

Experimental biology and medicine are closely related. From branches of biology, this applies not only to genetics, molecular biology or biotechnology, but also to such fundamental areas as botany, plant physiology, zoology and, of course, human anatomy and physiology. Deep research of new species of plants and animals can give impetus to the discovery of harmless, natural ways of fighting diseases. Discoveries in the field of anatomy and physiology can lead to a qualitative improvement in the process of treatment, rehabilitation or surgery.

Problems of Medicine

The modern level of medicine is fundamentally different from the one that existed 20-30 years ago. The number of child deaths has decreased, the period of life expectancy has increased. But still today some of the issues can not be solved even by the best doctors.

Perhaps the main problem of modern medicine is financing. The discovery of new drugs, the creation of prostheses, the cultivation of organs and tissues - all this requires fantastic costs. This problem also concerns the patients themselves. Most complex surgical operations require a large amount of money, and some drugs take almost the entire monthly salary. The development of biology and discovery in many of its areas can lead to a qualitative leap in medicine, which will become cheaper, but at the same time more perfect.

Fundamental Medicine and Biology

The importance of biology in medicine can not be overemphasized: simple operations require high skills in the field of practical anatomy. Know the structure of a person, the functions of the organs, the location of each vessel and nerve - all this is an integral part of training in any medical university.

Surgery is just one of the directions of modern medicine. Thanks to numerous discoveries in the field of biology, a person can receive specialized and professional treatment. A surgeon with the help of the latest equipment is able to conduct high-level operations, including organ and tissue transplantation. In 2009, the first heart and kidney transplant operation was performed. All this was achieved through the discoveries of biology scientists, and therefore the role of biology in medicine is indisputable.

Genetics in medicine

The great importance of biology in medicine is also associated with the study of hereditary human diseases. Studying the transfer of genes from generation to generation, scientists were able to discover a number of genetic diseases. This includes the most dangerous of them: Down's syndrome, cystic fibrosis, hemophilia.

Today it became possible to predict the occurrence of genetic diseases in a child. If a couple wants to analyze whether such diseases can occur in their children, they can go to special clinics. There, after studying the genealogical tree of parents, they can calculate the percentage of deviations from the baby.

Sequencing of the human genome

To read the human genome is one of the most important tasks of modern biology. It was solved by 2008, but the properties of this genome have not been fully studied. It is supposed that in the future it will be possible to switch to personal medicine using the individual passport of the human genome. Why is it important to know the genetic sequence?

Every person is an individual organism. A drug that can cure a disease in one person can cause side effects in another. Today, doctors can not accurately predict whether there will be negative consequences when exposed to an antibiotic or medicine. If the genome of each person is fully deciphered, the course of treatment will be selected individually for each patient. This will not only improve the effectiveness of therapy, but also help to avoid the side effects of drugs.

The sequencing of the genome of bacteria, plants and animals is already bearing fruit today. Modern biologists are able to use the genes of other organisms for their own purposes. Here the role of biology in medicine is due to the fact that genes useful for humans can help in the treatment of a variety of diseases. So, the bacteria synthesizing natural insulin is no longer an invention. Moreover, insulin production is carried out on an industrial scale in special factories, where bacteria are specially cultivated, and their strains are used to produce the desired hormone. As a result, a person who has diabetes mellitus can maintain normal life activity.

Biotechnology - the future of medicine

Biotechnology is a young and at the same time one of the most important branches of biology. At the present stage of the development of medicine, many methods of combating diseases have already been discovered. Among them - antibiotics, medicines of animal and vegetable origin, chemical preparations, vaccines. However, there is a problem in which the effectiveness of certain antibiotics and drugs decreases over time. This is due to the fact that microorganisms, especially bacteria and viruses, are constantly mutating, adapting to new methods of drug control.

Biotechnology in the future will change the structure of substances, creating new types of medicines. For example, it will be possible to carry out a conformational change in the penicillin molecule, resulting in a different substance with the same properties.

Tumor diseases are an acute problem of modern medicine. The fight against cancer cells is the goal of paramount importance for scientists around the world. To date, there are known substances that can suppress tumor development. These include bleomycin and anthracycline. However, the main problem is that the use of such drugs can lead to disruption and stopping the work of the heart. It is believed that a change in the structure of bleomycin and anthracycline will relieve undesirable effects on the human body. This only confirms the great importance of biology in medicine.

The use of stem cells

Today many scientists believe that stem cells are the way to eternal youth. This is due to their specific properties.

Stem cells are able to differentiate absolutely into any cells and tissues of the body. They can give rise to blood cells, nerve cells, bone and muscle cells. The human embryo consists entirely of stem cells, which is explained by the need for constant division and construction of systems of organs and tissues. With age, the number of stem cells in the body decreases, which is one of the reasons for aging.

When transplanting organs and tissues, there is a problem of rejection of foreign cells by the body. This can sometimes lead to death. To avoid such a situation, scientists made an attempt to grow organs from human stem cells. This method opens great prospects for transplantology, since organs synthesized from the patient's cells will not be rejected by his body.

Biology in modern medicine

Qualitative treatment of diseases directly depends on achievements in the field of biology. The huge importance of biology in medicine is also explained by the fact that modern branches of science are aimed at improving methods of combating human diseases. Already in the near future, a person can be cured of cancer, AIDS, diabetes. Genetic diseases can be circumvented in infancy, and the creation of an ideal person will no longer be fiction.