The principles, conventions, and terms used to describe or classify biological entities or processes (or in a broader sense, to describe or classify anything).
2
votes
4answers
86 views
Are there more descriptive ways of naming genes and gene interactions?
I couldn't help but notice just how non-descriptive the gene names that modern genetics is using. Currently I'm reading "The new science of Evo Devo" by Sean B. Carroll and here are some examples of ...
3
votes
2answers
93 views
Why does Glutamine have the symbol Q?
Spent a half hour googling this and the best I could find was this:
Now for some rhymes: Arginine = R. R we having fun yet?
Asparagine = N The kNights of Ne say "Ne".
Glutamine is a cute ...
6
votes
2answers
195 views
Gene & Protein nomenclature: N-Myc, c-Myc, et. al
Can someone explain (or point me to an explanation of) exactly what is meant by all the different symbols I see used for writing genes and proteins?
I think I know that for genes, we use an italic ...
3
votes
1answer
44 views
How are atoms in benzopyridines and benzopurines numbered?
I am well-aware of the numbering system used for the traditional bases, as seen below.
My question is how are the atoms in the size-expanded bases seen in xDNA and xRNA numbered?
7
votes
1answer
209 views
What's the name of the fibrous strands that hold the seeds in a pumpkin?
If you cut open a pumpkin, the seeds are suspended inside the pumpkin by some fibrous, slimey strands. You can see them in the middle of this sliced-open pumpkin:
I'm writing a post for the ...
9
votes
3answers
4k views
What is the difference between orthologs, paralogs and homologs?
These three terms are often misused in the literature. Many researchers seem to use them as synonymous. So, what is the definition of each of these terms and how do they differ from one another?
3
votes
1answer
123 views
“Acellular” designation for organisms
Why do some biologists refer to single-celled organisms such as Amoeba and Paramecium as
acellular (i.e., without cells) rather than unicellular (i.e., one cell)?
6
votes
2answers
71 views
Does the word “polymorphism” refer to the gene, the phenotype, or both?
In genetics, does the word "polymorphism" properly refer to genes, to phenotypes, or both? For example, if there are two alleles that lead to differences in the structure of the D2 neuroreceptor, ...
5
votes
1answer
78 views
Formal definition of a 'genetic trait reservoir'?
I've read the tomato genome paper in Nature published recently, and they describe the tomato genetic resource as a rich trait reservoir that will provide biological ...
4
votes
2answers
64 views
Genetic networks vs genetic architectures?
What is the difference between the terms genetic network and genetic architecture? I've heard both in a variety of contexts used by different people, so I am interested in what people think they mean, ...
8
votes
1answer
345 views
Does the use of “var”, “x”, and/or “ssp” in a scientific name provide specific information?
What exactly does it mean when a plant has a scientific name that specifies a vairety, for example Nothofagus solandri var. cliffortioides, or when the name includes an "x", as in Populus ...
7
votes
1answer
109 views
Linkage and LD: quantitative or qualitative?
My understanding is that the concept "genetic linkage" can be expressed in quantitative form, like:
A predisposing gene X was found in close genetic linkage to Y.
...
5
votes
2answers
198 views
What does the 34/70 in Saccharomyces pastorianus Weihenstephan 34/70 stand for?
I've searched everywhere.
No Wikipedia page.
No information on NCBI.
I searched all occurrences of 34/70 in some primary research articles!
The best I've found is this brewery forum where someone ...
7
votes
1answer
83 views
On which date did the official name change of Lactobacillus sanfranciscensis change?
When did the change of official name from Lactobacillus sanfrancisco to Lactobacillus sanfranciscensis happen? An answer ((to the exact day OR within a few days) AND the name of the conference at ...
9
votes
1answer
77 views
To which distinctions does the term “hymenoptera” refer?
Hymenoptera is an order of insects that includes bees, ants, and wasps. A quick search gives the following etymological analysis of the term hymenoptera.
hymen (membrane) + pteron (wing)
Does ...
