Guidelines for GO textual definitions

  BEING REVIEWED

General points about definitions of GO terms

• All terms require a definition and a definition cross-reference.
• Definitions should explain clearly to the reader what is meant by a particular term.
• They should be concise, full sentences (they should begin with an upper-case letter and end with a period).
• As with term names, avoid using abbreviations that may be ambiguous (e.g. "ER" can mean "endoplasmic reticulum" or "estrogen receptor").

Use Aristotelian definitions

Ideally, definitions should follow the genus-differentia ("Aristotelian") pattern: they should take the form of a genus (generic term, an is_a parent) and differentia (discriminating characteristics which mark instances of the specific term as being different from is_a sibling terms).

For example, a spindle microtubule is defined as "Any microtubule that is part of a mitotic or meiotic spindle; anchored at one spindle pole."

• Genus: Any microtubule
• Differentia: part of a mitotic or meiotic spindle; anchored at one spindle pole

The genus and differentia should make the definition necessary and sufficient such that all terms that are subclasses of that term satisfy the definition of the term, and any term that is not a subclass of the term does not satisfy the definition.

In some cases, it is appropriate to add to the core definition to improve the comprehensibility. This can include further explanations of the genus and/or differentia or examples of the term usage.

 Link to http://geneontology.org/page/ontology-documentation
 Link to https://github.com/geneontology/go-ontology/tree/master/src/design_patterns
 Look for any other pages in the wiki such as http://wiki.geneontology.org/index.php/Transporter_terms_standard_definitions

membrane fusion

The joining of the lipid bilayer membrane around X to the lipid bilayer membrane around Y.

cellular component organization

A process that is carried out at the cellular level which results in the assembly, arrangement of constituent parts, or disassembly of cellular component.

cellular component biogenesis

The process by which a cellular component is synthesized, aggregates, and bonds together.

macromolecular complex assembly

The aggregation, arrangement and bonding together of a set of components to form a macromolecular complex.

xxx distribution

Any process that establishes the spatial arrangement of xxx.