Medicine of the XXI century is almost entirely based on the achievements of biology. Groups of scientists who are engaged in such fields of science as genetics, molecular biology, immunology, biotechnology, contribute to the development of modern methods of combating diseases. This proves the connection of biology with 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 reproduce naturally stem cells obtained from the tissues of an average average man. Such discoveries can undoubtedly affect the medicine of the future.
Experimental biology and medicine are closely related. From the 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. In-depth studies of new species of plants and animals can give impetus to the discovery of harmless, natural ways to fight diseases. Discoveries in the field of anatomy and physiology can lead to a qualitative improvement in the process of treatment, rehabilitation or surgery.
Medical problems
The modern level of medicine is fundamentally different from that which existed 20-30 years ago. The number of child mortality has decreased, the period of life expectancy has increased. But today, even the best doctors cannot solve some issues.
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 applies to the patients themselves. Most complex surgeries require a large sum of money, and some drugs take almost the entire monthly salary. The development of biology and discovery in many of its fields can lead to a quantum leap in medicine, which will become cheaper, but at the same time more perfect.
Basic medicine and biology
The importance of biology in medicine cannot be overestimated: the simplest operations require high skills in the field of practical anatomy. To know the structure of a person, the functions of organs, the location of each vessel and nerve - all this is an integral part of training at any medical university.
Surgery is just one of the areas of modern medicine. Thanks to numerous discoveries in the field of biology, a person can receive specialized and professional treatment. Using the latest equipment, a surgeon is able to carry out high-level operations, including organ and tissue transplants. Already in 2009, the first heart and kidney transplant was performed. All this was achieved using the discoveries of biologists, therefore, the role of biology in medicine is undeniable.
Genetics in medicine
The great importance of biology in medicine is also associated with the study of hereditary human diseases. By studying gene transfer from generation to generation, scientists were able to discover a number of genetic diseases. This also includes the most dangerous of them: Down syndrome, cystic fibrosis, hemophilia.
Today it has become possible to predict the occurrence of genetic diseases in a child. If a couple wants to analyze whether the appearance of such diseases in their children is possible, they can go to special clinics. There, having studied the genealogical tree of the parents, they can calculate the percentage of deviations in the baby.
Human genome sequencing
Reading the human genome is one of the most important tasks of modern biology. It was already solved by 2008, however, the properties of this genome have not been completely studied. It is assumed that in the future it will be possible to switch to personal medicine using an individual passport of the human genome. Why is it important to know the genetic sequence?
Each 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 a particular antibiotic, medicine. If the genome of each person is completely decrypted, the course of treatment will be selected individually for each patient. This will not only increase the effectiveness of therapy, but also help to avoid the side effects of drugs.
Genome sequencing 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 to humans can help in the treatment of many diseases. So, bacteria that synthesize natural insulin are no longer fiction. Moreover, insulin production is carried out on an industrial scale in special factories where bacteria are specially cultivated, and their strains are used to obtain the desired hormone. As a result, a person who is sick with diabetes can maintain normal life.
Biotechnology - the future of medicine
Biotechnology is young and at the same time one of the most important branches of biology. At the present stage of development of medicine, many ways to combat diseases have already been discovered. Among them are antibiotics, drugs of animal and plant origin, chemicals, 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, constantly mutate, adapting to new methods of fighting drugs.
Biotechnologies in the future will allow changing 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, as a result of which we will get another substance with the same properties.
Tumor diseases are an acute problem of modern medicine. The fight against cancer cells is a goal of paramount importance for scientists around the world. To date, such substances are known that are able to suppress the development of the tumor. These include bleomycin and anthracycline. However, the main problem is that the use of such drugs can lead to disruption and cardiac arrest. It is believed that a change in the structure of bleomycin and anthracycline will relieve unwanted effects on the human body. This only confirms the great importance of biology in medicine.
Stem cell use
Today, many scientists believe that stem cells are the path 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 organs and tissues. With age, the number of stem cells in the human body decreases, which is one of the causes of aging.
During organ and tissue transplantation, there is a problem of rejection of foreign cells by the body. This can sometimes be fatal. To avoid this situation, scientists made an attempt to grow organs from human stem cells. This method opens up great prospects for transplantology, because organs synthesized from the patient’s cells will not be rejected by his body.
Biology in modern medicine
High-quality treatment of diseases directly depends on advances in biology. The great 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 will be able to recover from cancer, AIDS, diabetes. Genetic diseases can be circumvented in infancy, and the creation of an ideal person will no longer be fiction.