title: On the use of metaphor to understand, explain, or rationalize redundant genes in yeast.
abstract: The proposal that yeast, and cells in general, contains redundant genes that enable cells to survive mutational change has been supported by experiments and a strong metaphor. The redundant gene proposal is analyzed, and it is noted that there are many problems with the redundant gene model. An alternative metaphor is suggested to explain the genetic composition of a yeast culture.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-0620, USA. cooper@umich.edu
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cooper
mesh_terms: D005075:Biological Evolution; D005800:Genes, Fungal; D019365:Metaphor; D015003:Yeasts / Q000235:genetics*