How phenotype arises from genotype
2. How phenotype arises from genotype¶
I have three aims in this background Chapter:
To anchor the work that I’ve done within the context of the big questions in, and history of, genetics and computational biology.
To discuss the current model for how biological molecules impact phenotype, in order to aid in discussions about the types of data we have (which I discuss in Chapter 3), and how to use it (which relates to the rest of this thesis).
To provide a basic run-down of key terms/concepts in molecular biology (in particular, how dna, proteins, and phenotype are labelled and classified) in order to allow someone without a biology background to understand the rest of this thesis.
The biological background presented in this section begins at the very basics of molecular biology. This first details what biological molecules (e.g. DNA, RNA and proteins) are, then discusses the different levels that they can be viewed at, and how current research suggests that they effect the body. These details reveal the complexity of the entities and concepts that computational biologists are interested in. The additional complexities that arise from how we store data about these entities and use it in downstream analyses, is discussed in the next Chapter.
At the end of this chapter, I provide a short summary of the scientific model for how genotype and phenotype are linked.