Perturbation (biology)
Encyclopedia
A perturbation of a biological system is an alteration of function, induced by external or internal mechanisms. Biological systems can be perturbed through a number of means. Examples include:
- Environmental stimuli (temperature changes, osmotic shockOsmotic shockOsmotic shock or osmotic stress is a sudden change in the solute concentration around a cell, causing a rapid change in the movement of water across its cell membrane. Under conditions of high concentrations of either salts, substrates or any solute in the supernatant, water is drawn out of the...
, pressure changes) - Small molecules that affect different biological pathways (drugs, toxins)
- Manipulation of geneGeneA gene is a molecular unit of heredity of a living organism. It is a name given to some stretches of DNA and RNA that code for a type of protein or for an RNA chain that has a function in the organism. Living beings depend on genes, as they specify all proteins and functional RNA chains...
function, such as gene knockout or transcript knockdown by RNA interferenceRNA interferenceRNA interference is a process within living cells that moderates the activity of their genes. Historically, it was known by other names, including co-suppression, post transcriptional gene silencing , and quelling. Only after these apparently unrelated processes were fully understood did it become... - Motor movements when they encounter external disruptions, such a leg stepping into a hole and falling!