The technical term for parallelism (also known as convergence) is "homoplasy". It means that a similar structure has arisen in parallel fashion in two or more unrelated organisms. A plant example would be the pitcher found in pitcher plants. There are at least 3 separate groups of plants that produce pitchers that trap insects which the plants digest to absorb the nutrients. There is the American Sarracenia, the mostly Asian Nepenthes and the south-western Australian Cephalotus. Parallelism is important because it is misleading ... we might falsely assume that all pitcher plants are closely related but they are not.
The *opposite* condition is called homology. Organs with a common phylogenetic origin are said to be homologous.
2006-11-18 18:29:55
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answer #1
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answered by myrtguy 5
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I do not see a connection to Botany for this question, so I will assume you mean it as a question on language.
Parallelisms group similar words together into one sentence when they are all related to one subject.
Sentences are easier to read when they have a smooth flow, rhythm and full content. Using short sentences in a paragraph creates a choppy flow and uses many words to say little.
Consider this example. The girl is pretty. The girl is talented. The girl is fun to be with.
Phrased as a parallelism, the sentence is easier to read and more meaningful while using fewer words - The girl is pretty, talented and fun to be with.
2006-11-17 21:25:12
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answer #2
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answered by Trailcook 4
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In grammar, parallelism is a balance of two or more similar words, phrases, or clauses. The application of parallelism in sentence construction improves writing style and readability. Parallelism may also be known as parallel structure or parallel construction.
Lacking parallelism: She likes cooking, jogging, and to read.
Parallel: She likes cooking, jogging, and reading.
In the above example, the first sentence has two gerunds and one infinitive. To make it parallel, the sentence was rewritten with three gerunds instead.
Lacking parallelism: The dog ran across the yard, jumped over the fence, and down the alley he sprinted.
Parallel: The dog ran across the yard, jumped over the fence, and sprinted down the alley.
Lacking parallelism: Corey admires people with integrity and who have character.
Parallel: Corey admires people who have integrity and who have character.
Parallel: Corey admires people who have integrity and character
2006-11-18 04:28:41
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answer #3
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answered by chocolates1001 2
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