we scientists are not a creative bunch

[asimplechord]

But still! A little originality would be nice.

If I see one more newly sanctioned use of -ome, I'll scream.

Genome, proteome, proteasome, fine. Whatever.

Transcriptome? Meh.

Receptosome? *starts to frown*

Metallome? Oh, Tom O'Halloran, you get all the blame credit for that ridiculous thing.

NOBOnome? Lame.

And interactome? That is IT. NO MORE. I have decreed it. So must it be. In my little world, anyway.

And while we're at it? Ligand = noun. NOT A VERB. A small molecule doesn't ligand something; EDTA doesn't ligand a zinc or calcium ion. It ligates.

*twitch*

We now return to our regularly scheduled lab work.

Comments

[asimplechord.livejournal.com]

Those are just the ones I've heard recently. I hate them. The -ome seems to be used indiscriminately nowadays.

Is the trypsin/other peptidases naming convention a historical thing? They were named before rules had been decided?

[angela-snape.livejournal.com]

It's possible. I haven't looked into the history of biochemical naming or anything, but when I tell my students "ase" means enzyme in one breath and then introduce those peptidases (at least that ends in 'ase') I just say there are exceptions to every rule. *shrug*