Can a systems perspective help us appreciate the biological meaning of small effects?

Dev Cell. 2011 Jul 19;21(1):11-3. doi: 10.1016/j.devcel.2011.06.005.

Abstract

The study of dramatic phenotypes has been pivotal to elucidating biological mechanisms. Effectively approaching low-magnitude quantitative phenotypes, a common outcome of systematic loss-of-function studies, will be critical for understanding how individual components of cells interact to generate functioning systems.

MeSH terms

  • Cell Biology
  • Cells / cytology
  • Cells / metabolism*
  • Developmental Biology / methods*
  • Humans
  • Phenotype
  • Systems Biology / methods*