Abstract
Progress in the basic sciences of cell and molecular biology has provided an exciting dimension that has translated into clinically relevant information in every medical subspecialty. Importantly, the application of recombinant DNA technology has played a major role in unravelling the intricacies related to the molecular pathophysiology of disease. This series of review articles constitutes a framework for the integration of the database of new information into the core knowledge base of concepts related to the pathogenesis of gastrointestinal disorders and liver disease. The goal of this series of three articles is to review the basic principles of eukaryotic gene expression. The first article examines the role of DNA in directing the flow of genetic information in eukaryotic cells.