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Connecting processes to anatomy

Chris Mungall edited this page Jul 10, 2013 · 2 revisions

Connections between biological processes and anatomical structures

Status: intermediate draft

Authors and contributors:

  • Chris Mungall (author)

Date: 2012

Document Type: ontology_usage_article

Abstract

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Background

Uberon covers anatomical structures such as glands, bones, blood vessels. The Gene Ontology covers molecular and biological processes, as well as cellular component. These processes include for example lung development, respiration, secretion, angiogenesis.

Processes are disjoint with anatomic structures, yet they are clearly related. This article covers how these are related

Inter-ontology axioms

An inter-ontology axiom connects two classes from different ontologies. An axiom must belong to an ontology, the 'owner' of an axiom is determined by which class the axiom is about.

An axiom such as 'lungs have a function in respiration' are about lungs - these axioms are found in Uberon. Conversely, an axiom such as 'lung development results in the development of a lung' is about the process, so this axiom belongs to the GO.

Some axioms such as 'anatomical projections (sometimes known as processes) are not the same thing as biological processes' are symmetric, and belong to neither

Axioms about processes that reference anatomical structures

These belong to the GO, but are currently housed in an external bridging ontology:

This ontology contains only bridging axioms. A separate ontology imports the necessary ontologies

Axioms about metazoan anatomical structures that reference processes

These belong to Uberon. They are only available in some versions of Uberon

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