From single gene to phenotype: questioning a discrete gene in explaining phenotype diversity

摘要: The great diversity of phenotypes across organisms raises the question how it emerged from digital DNA sequence. Often is summarized as ‘how many genes do we really need?’ benefit answering this readily apparent; particularly since sequencing genome, research has sought origin normative and pathological in our genes. However, response, literature will retort that neither number nor size genome make robust predictions about phenotype complexity or diversity. For example, a common sea flea, Daphnia pulex, ~31,000 genes, compared with ~23,000. Given gene-centric state current biology, questions these comparisons advance power gene are disconcerting. remit what follows to address value quantifying explain phenotype. heterogeneous nature definitions necessitates brief discussion ontology. Following this, I discuss function emerges transcript, resultant translated functional product. questioning should be taken tandem its scope; end on survey proportion attributed non-DNA inheritance information, which highlights need systems-based approaches variability.