The Referential Convergence of Gene Concepts Based on Classical and Molecular Analyses

International Studies in the Philosophy of Science 24 (4):411-427 (2010)
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Abstract

Kenneth Waters and Marcel Weber argue that the joint use of distinct gene concepts and the transfer of knowledge between classical and molecular analyses in contemporary scientific practice is possible because classical and molecular concepts of the gene refer to overlapping chromosomal segments and the DNA sequences associated with these segments. However, while pointing in the direction of coreference, both authors also agree that there is a considerable divergence between the actual sequences that count as genes in classical genetics and molecular biology. The thesis advanced in this paper is that the referents of classical and molecular gene concepts are coextensive to a higher degree than admitted by Waters and Weber, and therefore coreference can provide a satisfactory account of the high level of integration between classical genetics and molecular biology. In particular, I argue that the functional units/cistrons identified by classical techniques overlap with functional elements entering the composition of molecular transcription units, and that the precision of this overlap can be improved by conducting further experimentation

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Baetu Tudor
Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières

Citations of this work

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The Problem of Hard and Easy Problems.Tudor M. Baetu - 2022 - Canadian Journal of Philosophy 52 (6):606-621.

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References found in this work

Philosophy of Experimental Biology.Marcel Weber - 2004 - Cambridge University Press.
What Genes Can't Do.Lenny Moss - 2003 - MIT Press.
1953 and all that. A tale of two sciences.Philip Kitcher - 1984 - Philosophical Review 93 (3):335-373.
Genes made molecular.C. Kenneth Waters - 1994 - Philosophy of Science 61 (2):163-185.

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