Perturbation (biology)

A perturbation of a biological system is an alteration of function, induced by external or internal mechanisms. Biological systems can be perturbed through a number of means. Examples include 1) Environmental stimuli (temperature changes, osmotic shock, pressure changes), 2) Small molecules that affect different biological pathways (drugs, toxins), 3) Manipulation of gene function, such as gene knockout or transcript knockdown by RNA interference.

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