vector

In mathematics and physics, the term evokes a sense of targeted movement. It is not just about how much of something exists, but exactly where it is headed. This creates a mental image of an arrow pointing in a specific direction with a specific length. In biology, the word takes on a more sinister or clinical tone. It describes a carrier or a vehicle for infection, stripping the organism of its identity as a living creature and reducing it to a biological tool of transport.