bacteria develop antibiotic bilge pumps

Categories: Comparisons

An example of metaphor in popular science writing:

"For instance, they [bacteria] can change their surface so the antibiotic can no longer get inside the bacterium, or develop antibiotic bilge pumps that prevent the drug from building up. Alternatively they may create new metabolic pathways that mean they can bypass the antibiotic's roadblock."

Catherine Carver

Carver, C. (2017). Immune. How your body defends and protects you. Bloomsbury Sigma. (Read about this book: 'Disease and immunity – a biological myth')

Read about metaphor in science

Read about examples of science metaphors

Many examples of science metaphors are listed in 'Creative comparisons: Making science familiar through language. An illustrative catalogue of figurative comparisons and analogies for science concepts'. Free Download.

Author: Keith

Former school and college science teacher, teacher educator, research supervisor, and research methods lecturer. Emeritus Professor of Science Education at the University of Cambridge.