the antibody's tailpiece acts like a cattle prod

Categories: Comparisons

An example of simile in popular science writing:

"On the other end [of the antibody] is the tailpiece, which acts like a cattle prod to kick other immune cells and molecules into action to destroy the target."

Catherine Carver

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

Read about similes in science

Read about examples of science similes

Many examples of science similes 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.