Chapter 2
Social metaphors in cellular and molecular biology
Consistent with conceptual metaphor theory (CMT), metaphor use in biology is characterized by three
overarching metaphorical themes: The Semiotic Metaphor, Teleology and Emergence/Supervenience. These themes are
applied in analyzing metaphor use in the study of cellular systems. Use of metaphors drawn from social domains is
extensive and systematic. In science teaching, attention should be paid to how scientists acquire and
evaluate new knowledge, and convey new findings. Abductive inference as a means of arriving at a best
explanation is of great pedagogical value. Abductive inference depends upon metaphors grounded in embodied and social
conceptual frameworks. Explicit acknowledgment of metaphorical usage in science teaching illuminates the path from
scientific observations toward robust theories.
Article outline
- Introduction
- Over-arching metaphors in biology
- The semiotic metaphor
- Teleology
- Emergence and Supervenience
- Metaphor and evolution
- Social metaphors in biology
- Cellular systems
- Bacteria
- Quorum sensing
- Cooperation
- Virulence
- Biofilms
- Conceptual metaphors, abduction and science education
- Criticisms and defenses of CMT in science and science education
- Summary
-
Notes
-
References
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