David Decraene schrieb:
> Note that one might also debate on the nature of 'enzyme', is that a protein,
>or a role that can inhere in a protein?
>
I think the only way to solve this and similar problems is to make a
*tripartite distinction* between (i) 'inhering properties' (e.g., shape
and mass), (ii) 'inhering capacities', and (iii) 'roles/functions'. The
ordinary way of talking about enzymes (= proteins that catalyze chemical
reactions) fuses, if not all three, at least the last two categories. A
protein can have the capacity to catalyze a certain chemical reaction
even if this capacity is never used/realized; therefore, the capacity
*inheres* in the protein, i.e., the protein has the capacity
independently of context. Nonetheless, the capacitiy is not an ordinary
property such as its mass, in relation to which a distinction between
being used/realized and not being used/realized makes no sense. On the
other hand, to have the role/function of 'being an enzyme' is an
implicitly *relational* characterization; role/functions relate
something, here proteins, to some kind of surrounding, context, or
functional whole. (01)
/Ingvar J (02)
--
Ingvar Johansson
IFOMIS, Saarland University
home site: http://ifomis.org/
personal home site:
http://hem.passagen.se/ijohansson/index.html (03)
_________________________________________________________________
Message Archives: http://ontolog.cim3.net/forum/ontolog-forum/
Subscribe/Config: http://ontolog.cim3.net/mailman/listinfo/ontolog-forum/
Unsubscribe: mailto:ontolog-forum-leave@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Shared Files: http://ontolog.cim3.net/file/
Community Wiki: http://ontolog.cim3.net/wiki/
To Post: mailto:ontolog-forum@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (04)
|