An evolutionary approach to Function
This work addresses a vexing issue in biomedical ontologies, providing formal definitions to improve clarity and application, though it appears incremental as it builds on existing practices.
The paper tackles the problem of distinguishing between function and role in biology by developing definitions through an evolutionary approach and testing them against the Ontology for Biomedical Investigations, concluding that the definitions formalize current practice and are applicable in biomedical ontologies.
Background: Understanding the distinction between function and role is vexing and difficult. While it appears to be useful, in practice this distinction is hard to apply, particularly within biology. Results: I take an evolutionary approach, considering a series of examples, to develop and generate definitions for these concepts. I test them in practice against the Ontology for Biomedical Investigations (OBI). Finally, I give an axiomatisation and discuss methods for applying these definitions in practice. Conclusions: The definitions in this paper are applicable, formalizing current practice. As such, they make a significant contribution to the use of these concepts within biomedical ontologies.