Why do these biology textbooks write 'differential' as an adjective, rather than 'different'?

[scherz0]

Are these books using 'differential' correctly? Why not just write 'different'? English isn't my first language, and I don't understand the difference between 'differential' and 'different' as adjectives.

1. Handbook of the Biology of Aging edited by Edward J. Masoro, Steven N. Austad. p 480.

2. The Cambridge Companion to the Philosophy of Biology edited by David L. Hull, Michael Ruse. p 46.

3. p 78.

4. Dictionary of Plant Genetics and Molecular Biology by Gurbachan Miglani. Anyone know the page #?

Edited July 29, 2021 by scherz0

[Peterkin]

Sounds as if the author were just inordinately fond of the word - as I am of "inordinately".

Plus, you're so last century! Nobody cares about the meanings of words anymore.

[Area54]

In the first example the author states "However there is too little information currently available to suggest that this site has any responsibility for the differential performance of skeletal muscles with age".

I suggest that "differential performance" suggests a quantitative difference on some spectrum of performance. For example an aged muscle deliver 20% less power than a young muscle, or its twitch rate is reduced by 35%. A "different performance", in contrast, would suggest a qualitative difference. I know nothing about muscle physiology, so this example is by way of a guess - a qualitative difference might relate to appearance of different waste products.

A similar argument seems applicable to the other examples. I offer this as a possible solution without being 100% convinced myself.

[studiot]

6 hours ago, scherz0 said:

Are these books using 'differential' correctly? Why not just write 'different'? English isn't my first language, and I don't understand the difference between 'differential' and 'different' as adjectives.

Yes the terms are being used correctly.

I sympathise with your difficulty however. Even English native speakers can have difficulties with this one.

The simple fact is that. although they stem from the same root, the adjectives differential and different do not have the same meaning.
That is they are different.
Two or more objects A , B, C etc are different if they are not the same.
Different is applied to specific objects and simply states a fact.

It is true that some of the balls on a billiard/pool/snooker table are different from others.

But that statement alone does not state how to tell that difference, or even what that difference is.

The process of telling the difference is called differentiation, the verb is to differentiate and the adjective is differential.

This adjective is applied to processes, appropriate to making the distinction (telling the difference) and is particuarly used in the Life Sciences.

Doctors for instance make differential diagnoses, where the try to tell the difference between possible medical conditions that cause the aptient's symptoms.

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/differential-diagnosis

Biologists use differential centrifugation.

Quote

Collins Biology Dictionary

A technique in which cell organelles can be separated by spinning a homogenate at different speeds.

Note the use of the word different in the definition.

The speeds are not the organelles which are differentiated.

 

Note that most of your examples of differential refer to processes.

Some authors appear to have some additional uses which are less clear and could perhaps be better phrased.

So Area54's idea of a scale is fine but to differentiate can also mean to separate as well as just to tell the difference.

 

Does this help ?

Edited July 29, 2021 by studiot

[Peterkin]

4 hours ago, studiot said:

Does this help ?

Yes, it does.

As an editor, I would still like to talk to the author about repetition and clarity. After all, you're addressing students who can be easily confused (and once confused, much less easily straightened out again!), not colleagues who are familiar with the jargon. 

[Peterkin]

On closer inspection (as you can see, it's been preying on my mind) that's not one book, but excerpts from several. In each case, the word is used correctly, akin to "differential diagnosis", but the language is so dense with specialized words and information, it's difficult to follow.

Is it really that hard write simply and clearly about plant pathogens and old muscles? 

[Prometheus]

1 minute ago, Peterkin said:

Is it really that hard write simply and clearly about plant pathogens and old muscles? 

Like those doctors who insist on saying contra-lateral instead of the other side.