epigenetics
""Unfortunately, research in the basic sciences can resemble the blind men and the elephant," says Feinberg, referring to the fable in which one man touches a pachyderm's stout leg and assumes the animal is a pillar; another, the muscular trunk, and thinks snake-and so on. "That's why we are very excited Sean Taverna has joined this Center, the vision for which is for researchers to ask questions and share ideas about basic research from all different angles, as well as to collaborate on experiments and grant-writing." "
"Mozart's compositions are original, but the number of interpretations made on them is countless. Epigenetics is like an orchestral director giving a different flavour to the same notes by modulating different instruments. In this respect, the DNA - the genetic information - is like sheets of music, and epigenetics is the ensemble of conductors and musicians."
'We're compounds, mosaics of epigenetic patterns and gene sequences,'' said Dr. Arthur Beaudet, chairman of the molecular and human genetics department at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. While DNA sequences are commonly compared to a text of written letters, he said, epigenetics is like the formatting in a word processing program."
"Epigenetics involves chemical signatures that are added to DNA and proteins that package it, to regulate their activity. The more recognized epigenetic brand is DNA methylation, a process based on the addition of a methyl chemical group into a part of our genetic puzzle. Therefore, while the genetic is like the alphabet, epigenetics is like the punctuation marks of a text."
" IMO, a more apt metaphor would be that Epigenetics is like the Lakers jersey Kobe wears"
"Understanding epigenetics is like particle physics, we can be statistically certain but we can NOT be definitive about the role of any single epigenetic modification's role in a disease state or trait inheritance. "

METAMIA is a free database of analogy and metaphor. Anyone can contribute or search. The subject matter can be anything. Science is popular, but poetry is encouraged. The goal is to integrate our fluid muses with the stark literalism of a relational database. Metamia is like a girdle for your muses, a cognitive girdle.