An example of a simile used in explaining science:
"Fortunately, the erythrocyte membrane cytoskeleton is uniquely adapted to circulate in that vasculature. The underlying protein scaffold consists primarily of spectrin. Spectrins are large (ca250 kD [kilodalton]) helical proteins. In erythrocytes, the functional unit of spectrin is a dimer of α spectrin and β spectrin. These chains bind to one another in a head-to-tail fashion in such a way as to become entwined along a series of more than 20 helices. This structure allows the protein to be highly extensible and compressible, roughly like a spring."
Benz, Edward J. (2018) Anemias, Red Cells, and the Essential Elements of Red Cell Homeostasis, in Edward J. Benz, Nancy Berliner, & Fred J. Schiffman, Anemia. Pathophysiology, Diagnosis, and Management, Cambridge University Press, 1-13.
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