[RWebb]

most medicines come from animals, plants, fungi, etc. - still true, even today when we have advanced 3D molecular modeling programs

in other cases, we initially find a medicine in a living organism and then synthesize copies of it later on in the lab - one example is the Pacific Yew tree, which we used to try and kill off in clearcuts to help Doug Fir (lumber) grow - until we found a potent cancer drug in it; later the compound was isolated and synthesized

a type of algal scum found only in a single hot springs in Yellowstone nat'l Park is the basis for PCR (polymerase chain reaction) - the foundation of the multi-trillion dollar industry of DNA-based molecular genetics, and genetic disease/disorder treatments

Ed Wilson discusses some of this in his very readable books, Diversity of Life is one of them