The specificity enigma: from mechanics to poems.
Biological specificity is usually described in terms of the lock-and-key metaphor. However, this metaphor is to a certain extent misleading and does not grasp the complexity underlying biological specificity. The failure of the lock-and-key metaphor makes it difficult to understand immune recognition. This is the reason why immune specificity has been described as the "Specificity Enigma." In this article, I point at three important differences between biological specificity and mechanical specificity, and suggest an alternative lens through which immune specificity can be considered.
Neuman
Yair
Y
Office for Interdisciplinary Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel. yneuman@bgumail.bgu.ac.il
D006801:Humans; D007107:Immune System / Q000502:physiology*; D008037:Linguistics; D019563:Mechanics; D019365:Metaphor; D008954:Models, Biological; D013045:Species Specificity