Health Dictionary
Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.
Molecular pathology
Introduction
Overview
Molecular pathology is an emerging discipline within pathology which is focused on the use of nucleic acid-based techniques such as DNA sequencing, fluorescent in-situ hybridization, reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction, and nucleic acid microarrays for specialised studies of disease. Molecular pathology shares some aspects of practice with both anatomic and clinical pathology, and is sometimes considered a “crossover” discipline. Applications are found in studies of both hereditary and acquired disorders including genetic diseaes, malignant tumors, hematological diseases (leukemias and lymphomas), and infectious diseases. DNA testing is the most common method for identity testing with applications such as bone marrow engraftment monitoring, paternity testing, and forensic identification.