Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
FIGURE 4.2
A representative section of the Gene Ontology (GO) graph. The graph indicates that the
cell contains two parts, the cytoplasm and the nucleus; the nucleus, in turn, contains three parts, the
nucleolus, the nucleoplasm, and the nuclear membrane; and so on. MCM2, REV3, and so forth are genes
associated with these various parts. (Gene Ontology Consortium, “Gene Ontology.” Reproduced by permis-
sion of Nature Publishing Group.)
understand that the nucleolus is a part of the nucleus and the nucleus
is part of the cell, and so on. This structure of the cell and the relation-
ships between its parts are programmed into the GO itself: the GO is a
specifi c structure designed to represent particular features of biological
objects.
20
Since 1998, the GO has evolved into three distinct hierarchies, one
describing biological processes (what process a gene product is involved
in), one describing molecular function (what molecular mechanisms are
involved), and one describing cellular components (where in the cell the
gene product acts). The explicit aim is the unifi cation of biology through
a shared language: “All biologists now acknowledge that there is likely
to be a single limited universe of genes and proteins, many of which are
conserved in most or all living cells. This recognition has fueled a grand
unifi cation of biology; the information about the shared genes and pro-
teins contributes to our understanding of all the diverse organisms that
share them.”
21
The GO is designed to be fl exible, to dynamically adjust
to changing ideas in biology, and to be responsive to the biologists who
are using it.
22
Nevertheless, the GO requires a centralized group of “cu-
