Skip to main content Accessibility help
×
Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-dsjbd Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-29T02:01:51.755Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

2 - The Differential Concept of the Gene: Past and Present

from PART ONE - GENES AND TRAITS

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 January 2010

Peter J. Beurton
Affiliation:
Max-Planck-Institut für Wissenschaftsgeschichte, Berlin
Raphael Falk
Affiliation:
Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Hans-Jörg Rheinberger
Affiliation:
Max-Planck-Institut für Wissenschaftsgeschichte, Berlin
Get access

Summary

ABSTRACT

The differential concept of the gene was created by geneticists at the beginning of the twentieth century to fill the need for a workable research method given the newly established formal theory that claimed many-to-many relationships between genes and traits. This concept can be reconciled with both one-to-one and many-to-many relationships between genes and traits because it deals with a different ontological level: the relationships between changes in genes and changes in traits, rather than the nature of the entities themselves. This flexible nature may also allow the term gene to survive its replacement by the term genome. The differential concept of the gene, except for its predicate, is not specific to genetics. The concept is fundamental, though to some degree intuitive, hence exhibiting power and weakness. Also, it is used continuously in studies of connections between the genotypic and phenotypic levels. In contrast to classical transmission genetics, where the interest in the relations between mutations and alternative appearances of traits is derived mainly from the need for a research method, the present interest is twofold: a research method and a research subject. The present use of the differential concept of the gene is characterized by its refinement: Different alternative states of a gene are to be related to different alternative appearances of a trait. This requires resolution capability at both the genotypic and phenotypic levels and is guided by the reductionist assumption that at least some mutations make a difference in the phenotype.

Type
Chapter
Information
The Concept of the Gene in Development and Evolution
Historical and Epistemological Perspectives
, pp. 26 - 39
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2000

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure [email protected] is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×