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In physiology, a function is an activity or process carried out by a system in an organism, such as sensation or locomotion in an animal. [1] This concept of function as opposed to form (respectively Aristotle's ergon and morphê [2]) was central in biological explanations in classical antiquity.
Some families show strong correlations between their taxonomic grouping and ecological functions, though this relationship varies among different groups of organisms. [5] The stability of family names has practical importance for applied biological work, though this stability faces ongoing challenges from new scientific findings.
A gene family is a set of several similar genes, formed by duplication of a single original gene, and generally with similar biochemical functions. One such family are the genes for human hemoglobin subunits; the ten genes are in two clusters on different chromosomes, called the α-globin and β-globin loci.
Most of the bacterial variants of phospholipase C are characterized into one of four groups of structurally related proteins. The toxic phospholipases C are capable of interacting with eukaryotic cell membranes and hydrolyzing phosphatidylcholine and sphingomyelin, leading to cell lysis.
3' untranslated region (3'-UTR). Also three-prime untranslated region, 3' non-translated region (3'-NTR), and trailer sequence.. 3'-end. Also three-prime end.. One of two ends of a single linear strand of DNA or RNA, specifically the end at which the chain of nucleotides terminates at the third carbon atom in the furanose ring of deoxyribose or ribose (i.e. the terminus at which the 3' carbon ...
An acquired characteristic is a non-heritable change in a function or structure of a living organism caused after birth by disease, injury, accident, deliberate modification, variation, repeated use, disuse, misuse, or other environmental influence. Acquired traits are synonymous with acquired characteristics.
The tree of life or universal tree of life is a metaphor, conceptual model, and research tool used to explore the evolution of life and describe the relationships between organisms, both living and extinct, as described in a famous passage in Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species (1859).
The basic principle behind the organisation is the concept of emergence—the properties and functions found at a hierarchical level are not present and irrelevant at the lower levels. The biological organisation of life is a fundamental premise for numerous areas of scientific research, particularly in the medical sciences.