Multimedia Gallery
This computer-generated image shows the "family" of switches and how they are related.
A computer-generated image showing the "family" of switches that Ramakrishnan and Bhalla discovered in their study. In addition to discovering over 4,000 chemical switches in cells, the researchers also learned that the switches themselves are related, as this diagram shows. This may offer an explanation as to how cells evolved the ability to use more complex switches.
Credit: Courtesy of Naren Ramakrishnan and Upinder S. Bhalla
Images credited to the National Science Foundation, a federal agency, are in the public domain. The images were created by employees of the United States Government as part of their official duties or prepared by contractors as "works for hire" for NSF. You may freely use NSF-credited images and, at your discretion, credit NSF with a "Courtesy: National Science Foundation" notation.
Additional information about general usage can be found in Conditions.
Also Available:
Download the high-resolution JPG version of the image. (470 KB)
Use your mouse to right-click (Mac users may need to Ctrl-click) the link above and choose the option that will save the file or target to your computer.
Related story: Finding the Switches to Our Cells' 'Computer'