gene cloning
" gave my mom a way to understand each of the terms. PCR is like a loud speaker. Gene cloning is like the mass production of one item of clothing. Labeled nucleotides are like adding post it notes to something. ddDNA is like a stop sign. Chain terminating sequence is like braille to help you read something. cDNA retracing your steps. RT-PCR is like a copy machine. A microarray is like using a light that shows what you wrote in a glow in the dark pen. Hybridization is like a mixture in a blender. A probe is like testing doors to see which one a certain key works in. "
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.