Nijhout H F
Department of Zoology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27706.
Bioessays. 1990 Sep;12(9):441-6. doi: 10.1002/bies.950120908.
In describing the flawless regularity of developmental processes and the correlation between changes at certain genetic loci and changes in morphology, biologists frequently employ two metaphors: that genes 'control' development, and that genomes embody 'programs' for development. Although these metaphors have an admirable sharpness and punch, they lead, when taken literally, to highly distorted pictures of developmental processes. A more balanced, and useful, view of the role of genes in development is that they act as suppliers of the material needs of development and, in some instances, as context-dependent catalysts of cellular changes, rather than as 'controllers' of developmental progress and direction. The consequences of adopting this alternative view of development are discussed.
在描述发育过程完美无缺的规律性以及某些基因位点的变化与形态变化之间的关联时，生物学家常常使用两个隐喻：基因“控制”发育，基因组体现发育“程序”。尽管这些隐喻有着令人赞赏的清晰性和冲击力，但如果从字面意义理解，它们会导致对发育过程的严重扭曲的认知。关于基因在发育中的作用，一种更平衡且有用的观点是，它们充当发育所需物质的供应者，并且在某些情况下，作为细胞变化的依赖于环境的催化剂，而不是发育进程和方向的“控制者”。本文讨论了采用这种关于发育的不同观点的后果。
