BROOKHAVEN LECTURE SERnThe Problem of Development

摘要

The great progress that has taken place in biology during the past ten years has given us a deeper understanding of the activities of cells in chemical terms. This period of progress was initi¬ated by the introduction of bacteria and viruses as materials for genetic studies. Bacteria and viruses have proved to be particularly convenient organ¬isms for the study of gene action, and most of our present knowledge of the interaction of DNA, RNA, and proteins has resulted from work with microorganisms. The question to which I want to address myself here is not the general one of how far the knowledge obtained in this way can be ap¬plied to higher organisms.