homology
Structural kinship traced
Homology is structural similarity due to shared ancestry.
In biology, the human arm, whale flipper, and bat wing are homologous—built from the same bones, adapted differently.
The concept distinguishes features that share evolutionary origin from those that merely look alike (analogy).
In mathematics, homology refers to algebraic structures that capture topological properties of spaces.
Study of structural similarities between organisms
- phylogenyEvolutionary relationships among organisms
- morphologyStudy of structural forms
- embryologyStudy of prenatal development
- forelimbAnterior vertebrate appendage
bone structure · body plan · wing · flipper · arm · common ancestor · descent · divergence
Related through past generations
- phylogeneticsScience of ancestral relationships
- speciationFormation of distinct species
- monophyleticFrom one ancestral lineage
- cladeMonophyletic taxonomic group
Exchanged written communication
- parallelEquidistant at all points
- equivalenceState of being equal
- counterpartCorresponding person or thing
- analogueSomething functionally similar
resemblance · likeness · similarity · comparison · congruence · mapping · mirror · echo
Ordered nucleotide chain
- geneHereditary information unit
- chromosomeDNA strand carrying genes
- sequence alignmentArranging molecular strings for comparison
- genomicsStudy of entire genetic sequences
duplication · mutation · nucleotide · genome · locus · genetic code · base pairs · recombination
Repeating sequence of events
- boundaryLine marking a limit
- simplexUndivided, one-direction transmission
- triangulationLocation via three points
- manifoldMany and various
torus · sphere · hole · connectedness · dimension
Structure-preserving bijective map
- ringClosed curve shape
- fieldArea of specialty
- moduleIndependent functional component
- algebraMath using symbols
kernel · image · quotient · mapping · structure-preserving · invariant
Word sharing etymological origin
- etymologyWord origin study
- language familyRelated tongues from one source
- Indo-EuropeanVast language family
- borrowingTemporary taking of another's
loanword · reconstruction · genetic relationship · philology
comparative anatomy
Study of structural similarities between organisms
- phylogenyEvolutionary relationships among organisms
- morphologyStudy of structural forms
- embryologyStudy of prenatal development
forelimb · bone structure · body plan · wing · flipper · arm · common ancestor · descent · divergence · cladistics
common ancestry
Related through past generations
- phylogeneticsScience of ancestral relationships
- speciationFormation of distinct species
- monophyleticFrom one ancestral lineage
clade · fossil record · macroevolution · tree of life · Darwin
correspondence
Exchanged written communication
- parallelEquidistant at all points
- equivalenceState of being equal
- counterpartCorresponding person or thing
analogue · resemblance · likeness · similarity · comparison · congruence · mapping · mirror · echo · reflection
DNA sequence
Ordered nucleotide chain
- geneHereditary information unit
- chromosomeDNA strand carrying genes
- sequence alignmentArranging molecular strings for comparison
genomics · duplication · mutation · nucleotide · genome · locus · genetic code · base pairs · recombination · Hox genes
cycle
Repeating sequence of events
- boundaryLine marking a limit
- simplexUndivided, one-direction transmission
- triangulationLocation via three points
manifold · torus · sphere · hole · connectedness · dimension
isomorphism
Structure-preserving bijective map
algebra · kernel · image · quotient · mapping · structure-preserving · invariant
cognate
Word sharing etymological origin
- etymologyWord origin study
- language familyRelated tongues from one source
- Indo-EuropeanVast language family
borrowing · loanword · reconstruction · genetic relationship · philology
- biologycells, DNA, cell, biology, gene
- evolutionevolution, natural selection, mutation, adaptation, speciation
- algebraic topologyexactness, linking number
- Bioinformaticssequence alignment, DNA sequencing, gene expression, gap, mismatch
- Evolutionary Genomicsdivergence, convergent evolution, natural selection, genetic drift, mutation
- topologymanifolds, compactness, neighborhoods, torus, connectedness
- serial homologyRepeated anatomical units along body