core.owl
type: Ontology
version IRI: core.owl
license: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/
version info: 2025-12-17

part of
type: ObjectProperty
inverse of: has part
type: TransitiveProperty
IAO_0000111: is part of
IAO_0000112: my brain is part of my body (continuant parthood, two material entities)
IAO_0000112: my stomach cavity is part of my stomach (continuant parthood, immaterial entity is part of material entity)
IAO_0000112: this day is part of this year (occurrent parthood)
IAO_0000115: a core relation that holds between a part and its whole
IAO_0000116: Everything is part of itself. Any part of any part of a thing is itself part of that thing. Two distinct things cannot be part of each other.
IAO_0000116: Occurrents are not subject to change and so parthood between occurrents holds for all the times that the part exists. Many continuants are subject to change, so parthood between continuants will only hold at certain times, but this is difficult to specify in OWL. See http://purl.obolibrary.org/obo/ro/docs/temporal-semantics/
IAO_0000116: Parthood requires the part and the whole to have compatible classes: only an occurrent can be part of an occurrent; only a process can be part of a process; only a continuant can be part of a continuant; only an independent continuant can be part of an independent continuant; only an immaterial entity can be part of an immaterial entity; only a specifically dependent continuant can be part of a specifically dependent continuant; only a generically dependent continuant can be part of a generically dependent continuant. (This list is not exhaustive.) A continuant cannot be part of an occurrent: use 'participates in'. An occurrent cannot be part of a continuant: use 'has participant'. A material entity cannot be part of an immaterial entity: use 'has location'. A specifically dependent continuant cannot be part of an independent continuant: use 'inheres in'. An independent continuant cannot be part of a specifically dependent continuant: use 'bearer of'.
IAO_0000118: part_of
RO_0001900: RO_0001901

has part
type: ObjectProperty
type: TransitiveProperty
IAO_0000111: has part
IAO_0000112: my body has part my brain (continuant parthood, two material entities)
IAO_0000112: my stomach has part my stomach cavity (continuant parthood, material entity has part immaterial entity)
IAO_0000112: this year has part this day (occurrent parthood)
IAO_0000115: a core relation that holds between a whole and its part
IAO_0000116: Everything has itself as a part. Any part of any part of a thing is itself part of that thing. Two distinct things cannot have each other as a part.
IAO_0000116: Occurrents are not subject to change and so parthood between occurrents holds for all the times that the part exists. Many continuants are subject to change, so parthood between continuants will only hold at certain times, but this is difficult to specify in OWL. See http://purl.obolibrary.org/obo/ro/docs/temporal-semantics/
IAO_0000116: Parthood requires the part and the whole to have compatible classes: only an occurrent have an occurrent as part; only a process can have a process as part; only a continuant can have a continuant as part; only an independent continuant can have an independent continuant as part; only a specifically dependent continuant can have a specifically dependent continuant as part; only a generically dependent continuant can have a generically dependent continuant as part. (This list is not exhaustive.) A continuant cannot have an occurrent as part: use 'participates in'. An occurrent cannot have a continuant as part: use 'has participant'. An immaterial entity cannot have a material entity as part: use 'location of'. An independent continuant cannot have a specifically dependent continuant as part: use 'bearer of'. A specifically dependent continuant cannot have an independent continuant as part: use 'inheres in'.
IAO_0000118: has_part
RO_0001900: RO_0001901

realized in
type: ObjectProperty
inverse of: realizes
domain: realizable entity
range: process
IAO_0000111: realized in
IAO_0000112: this disease is realized in this disease course
IAO_0000112: this fragility is realized in this shattering
IAO_0000112: this investigator role is realized in this investigation
IAO_0000118: is realized by
IAO_0000118: realized_in
IAO_0000600: [copied from inverse property 'realizes'] to say that b realizes c at t is to assert that there is some material entity d & b is a process which has participant d at t & c is a disposition or role of which d is bearer_of at t& the type instantiated by b is correlated with the type instantiated by c. (axiom label in BFO2 Reference: [059-003])
comment: Paraphrase of elucidation: a relation between a realizable entity and a process, where there is some material entity that is bearer of the realizable entity and participates in the process, and the realizable entity comes to be realized in the course of the process

realizes
type: ObjectProperty
domain: process
range: realizable entity
IAO_0000111: realizes
IAO_0000112: this disease course realizes this disease
IAO_0000112: this investigation realizes this investigator role
IAO_0000112: this shattering realizes this fragility
IAO_0000600: to say that b realizes c at t is to assert that there is some material entity d & b is a process which has participant d at t & c is a disposition or role of which d is bearer_of at t& the type instantiated by b is correlated with the type instantiated by c. (axiom label in BFO2 Reference: [059-003])
comment: Paraphrase of elucidation: a relation between a process and a realizable entity, where there is some material entity that is bearer of the realizable entity and participates in the process, and the realizable entity comes to be realized in the course of the process

occurs in
type: ObjectProperty
inverse of: contains process
domain: occurrent
range: independent continuant
property chain axiom: part of
IAO_0000111: occurs in
IAO_0000115: b occurs_in c =def b is a process and c is a material entity or immaterial entity& there exists a spatiotemporal region r and b occupies_spatiotemporal_region r.& forall(t) if b exists_at t then c exists_at t & there exist spatial regions s and s’ where & b spatially_projects_onto s at t& c is occupies_spatial_region s’ at t& s is a proper_continuant_part_of s’ at t
IAO_0000118: occurs_in
IAO_0000118: unfolds in
IAO_0000118: unfolds_in
comment: Paraphrase of definition: a relation between a process and an independent continuant, in which the process takes place entirely within the independent continuant

contains process
type: ObjectProperty
IAO_0000111: site of
IAO_0000115: [copied from inverse property 'occurs in'] b occurs_in c =def b is a process and c is a material entity or immaterial entity& there exists a spatiotemporal region r and b occupies_spatiotemporal_region r.& forall(t) if b exists_at t then c exists_at t & there exist spatial regions s and s’ where & b spatially_projects_onto s at t& c is occupies_spatial_region s’ at t& s is a proper_continuant_part_of s’ at t
comment: Paraphrase of definition: a relation between an independent continuant and a process, in which the process takes place entirely within the independent continuant

characteristic of
type: ObjectProperty
inverse of: has characteristic
type: FunctionalProperty
IAO_0000111: inheres in
IAO_0000112: this fragility is a characteristic of this vase
IAO_0000112: this red color is a characteristic of this apple
IAO_0000115: a relation between a specifically dependent continuant (the characteristic) and any other entity (the bearer), in which the characteristic depends on the bearer for its existence.
IAO_0000118: inheres_in
RO_0001900: RO_0001901
comment: Note that this relation was previously called "inheres in", but was changed to be called "characteristic of" because BFO2 uses "inheres in" in a more restricted fashion. This relation differs from BFO2:inheres_in in two respects: (1) it does not impose a range constraint, and thus it allows qualities of processes, as well as of information entities, whereas BFO2 restricts inheres_in to only apply to independent continuants (2) it is declared functional, i.e. something can only be a characteristic of one thing.

has characteristic
type: ObjectProperty
type: InverseFunctionalProperty
range: specifically dependent continuant
IAO_0000111: bearer of
IAO_0000112: this apple is bearer of this red color
IAO_0000112: this vase is bearer of this fragility
IAO_0000115: Inverse of characteristic_of
IAO_0000116: A bearer can have many dependents, and its dependents can exist for different periods of time, but none of its dependents can exist when the bearer does not exist.
IAO_0000118: bearer_of
IAO_0000118: is bearer of
RO_0001900: RO_0001901

participates in
type: ObjectProperty
inverse of: has participant
domain: continuant
range: occurrent
IAO_0000111: participates in
IAO_0000112: this blood clot participates in this blood coagulation
IAO_0000112: this input material (or this output material) participates in this process
IAO_0000112: this investigator participates in this investigation
IAO_0000115: a relation between a continuant and a process, in which the continuant is somehow involved in the process
IAO_0000118: participates_in

has participant
type: ObjectProperty
domain: occurrent
range: continuant
IAO_0000111: has participant
IAO_0000112: this blood coagulation has participant this blood clot
IAO_0000112: this investigation has participant this investigator
IAO_0000112: this process has participant this input material (or this output material)
IAO_0000115: a relation between a process and a continuant, in which the continuant is somehow involved in the process
IAO_0000116: Has_participant is a primitive instance-level relation between a process, a continuant, and a time at which the continuant participates in some way in the process. The relation obtains, for example, when this particular process of oxygen exchange across this particular alveolar membrane has_participant this particular sample of hemoglobin at this particular time.
IAO_0000118: has_participant
source: http://www.obofoundry.org/ro/#OBO_REL:has_participant

is concretized as
type: ObjectProperty
inverse of: concretizes
domain: generically dependent continuant
range: Class
  union of: process
  union of: specifically dependent continuant
IAO_0000112: A journal article is an information artifact that inheres in some number of printed journals. For each copy of the printed journal there is some quality that carries the journal article, such as a pattern of ink. The journal article (a generically dependent continuant) is concretized as the quality (a specifically dependent continuant), and both depend on that copy of the printed journal (an independent continuant).
IAO_0000112: An investigator reads a protocol and forms a plan to carry out an assay. The plan is a realizable entity (a specifically dependent continuant) that concretizes the protocol (a generically dependent continuant), and both depend on the investigator (an independent continuant). The plan is then realized by the assay (a process).
IAO_0000115: A relationship between a generically dependent continuant and a specifically dependent continuant or process, in which the generically dependent continuant depends on some independent continuant or process in virtue of the fact that the specifically dependent continuant or process also depends on that same independent continuant. A generically dependent continuant may be concretized as multiple specifically dependent continuants or processes.

concretizes
type: ObjectProperty
domain: Class
  union of: process
  union of: specifically dependent continuant
range: generically dependent continuant
IAO_0000112: A journal article is an information artifact that inheres in some number of printed journals. For each copy of the printed journal there is some quality that carries the journal article, such as a pattern of ink. The quality (a specifically dependent continuant) concretizes the journal article (a generically dependent continuant), and both depend on that copy of the printed journal (an independent continuant).
IAO_0000112: An investigator reads a protocol and forms a plan to carry out an assay. The plan is a realizable entity (a specifically dependent continuant) that concretizes the protocol (a generically dependent continuant), and both depend on the investigator (an independent continuant). The plan is then realized by the assay (a process).
IAO_0000115: A relationship between a specifically dependent continuant or process and a generically dependent continuant, in which the generically dependent continuant depends on some independent continuant in virtue of the fact that the specifically dependent continuant or process also depends on that same independent continuant. Multiple specifically dependent continuants or processes can concretize the same generically dependent continuant.

function of
type: ObjectProperty
sub property of: characteristic of
inverse of: has function
domain: function
IAO_0000112: this catalysis function is a function of this enzyme
IAO_0000115: a relation between a function and an independent continuant (the bearer), in which the function specifically depends on the bearer for its existence
IAO_0000116: A function inheres in its bearer at all times for which the function exists, however the function need not be realized at all the times that the function exists.
IAO_0000118: function_of
IAO_0000118: is function of
comment: This relation is modeled after the BFO relation of the same name which was in BFO2, but is used in a more restricted sense - specifically, we model this relation as functional (inherited from characteristic-of). Note that this relation is now removed from BFO2020.

quality of
type: ObjectProperty
sub property of: characteristic of
inverse of: has quality
IAO_0000112: this red color is a quality of this apple
IAO_0000115: a relation between a quality and an independent continuant (the bearer), in which the quality specifically depends on the bearer for its existence
IAO_0000116: A quality inheres in its bearer at all times for which the quality exists.
IAO_0000118: is quality of
IAO_0000118: quality_of
comment: This relation is modeled after the BFO relation of the same name which was in BFO2, but is used in a more restricted sense - specifically, we model this relation as functional (inherited from characteristic-of). Note that this relation is now removed from BFO2020.

role of
type: ObjectProperty
sub property of: characteristic of
inverse of: has role
IAO_0000112: this investigator role is a role of this person
IAO_0000115: a relation between a role and an independent continuant (the bearer), in which the role specifically depends on the bearer for its existence
IAO_0000116: A role inheres in its bearer at all times for which the role exists, however the role need not be realized at all the times that the role exists.
IAO_0000118: is role of
IAO_0000118: role_of
comment: This relation is modeled after the BFO relation of the same name which was in BFO2, but is used in a more restricted sense - specifically, we model this relation as functional (inherited from characteristic-of). Note that this relation is now removed from BFO2020.

has function
type: ObjectProperty
sub property of: has characteristic
domain: independent continuant
range: function
IAO_0000112: this enzyme has function this catalysis function (more colloquially: this enzyme has this catalysis function)
IAO_0000115: a relation between an independent continuant (the bearer) and a function, in which the function specifically depends on the bearer for its existence
IAO_0000116: A bearer can have many functions, and its functions can exist for different periods of time, but none of its functions can exist when the bearer does not exist. A function need not be realized at all the times that the function exists.
IAO_0000118: has_function

has quality
type: ObjectProperty
sub property of: has characteristic
range: quality
IAO_0000112: this apple has quality this red color
IAO_0000115: a relation between an independent continuant (the bearer) and a quality, in which the quality specifically depends on the bearer for its existence
IAO_0000116: A bearer can have many qualities, and its qualities can exist for different periods of time, but none of its qualities can exist when the bearer does not exist.
IAO_0000118: has_quality

has role
type: ObjectProperty
sub property of: has characteristic
domain: independent continuant
range: role
IAO_0000112: this person has role this investigator role (more colloquially: this person has this role of investigator)
IAO_0000115: a relation between an independent continuant (the bearer) and a role, in which the role specifically depends on the bearer for its existence
IAO_0000116: A bearer can have many roles, and its roles can exist for different periods of time, but none of its roles can exist when the bearer does not exist. A role need not be realized at all the times that the role exists.
IAO_0000118: has_role

has disposition
type: ObjectProperty
sub property of: has characteristic
inverse of: disposition of
domain: independent continuant
range: disposition
IAO_0000115: a relation between an independent continuant (the bearer) and a disposition, in which the disposition specifically depends on the bearer for its existence

disposition of
type: ObjectProperty
sub property of: characteristic of
comment: This relation is modeled after the BFO relation of the same name which was in BFO2, but is used in a more restricted sense - specifically, we model this relation as functional (inherited from characteristic-of). Note that this relation is now removed from BFO2020.

derives from
type: ObjectProperty
inverse of: derives into
IAO_0000112: this cell derives from this parent cell (cell division)
IAO_0000112: this nucleus derives from this parent nucleus (nuclear division)
IAO_0000114: IAO_0000125
IAO_0000115: a relation between two distinct material entities, the new entity and the old entity, in which the new entity begins to exist when the old entity ceases to exist, and the new entity inherits the significant portion of the matter of the old entity
IAO_0000116: This is a very general relation. More specific relations are preferred when applicable, such as 'directly develops from'.
IAO_0000118: derives_from

derives into
type: ObjectProperty
IAO_0000112: this parent cell derives into this cell (cell division)
IAO_0000112: this parent nucleus derives into this nucleus (nuclear division)
IAO_0000114: IAO_0000125
IAO_0000115: a relation between two distinct material entities, the old entity and the new entity, in which the new entity begins to exist when the old entity ceases to exist, and the new entity inherits the significant portion of the matter of the old entity
IAO_0000116: This is a very general relation. More specific relations are preferred when applicable, such as 'directly develops into'. To avoid making statements about a future that may not come to pass, it is often better to use the backward-looking 'derives from' rather than the forward-looking 'derives into'.
IAO_0000118: derives_into

location of
type: ObjectProperty
inverse of: located in
type: TransitiveProperty
IAO_0000111: is location of
IAO_0000112: my head is the location of my brain
IAO_0000112: this cage is the location of this rat
IAO_0000115: a relation between two independent continuants, the location and the target, in which the target is entirely within the location
IAO_0000116: Most location relations will only hold at certain times, but this is difficult to specify in OWL. See http://purl.obolibrary.org/obo/ro/docs/temporal-semantics/
IAO_0000118: location_of
RO_0001900: RO_0001901

located in
type: ObjectProperty
type: TransitiveProperty
domain: independent continuant
domain: Class
  intersection of: independent continuant
  intersection of: Class
    complement of: spatial region
range: independent continuant
range: Class
  intersection of: independent continuant
  intersection of: Class
    complement of: spatial region
IAO_0000111: located in
IAO_0000112: my brain is located in my head
IAO_0000112: this rat is located in this cage
IAO_0000115: a relation between two independent continuants, the target and the location, in which the target is entirely within the location
IAO_0000116: Location as a relation between instances: The primitive instance-level relation c located_in r at t reflects the fact that each continuant is at any given time associated with exactly one spatial region, namely its exact location. Following we can use this relation to define a further instance-level location relation - not between a continuant and the region which it exactly occupies, but rather between one continuant and another. c is located in c1, in this sense, whenever the spatial region occupied by c is part_of the spatial region occupied by c1. Note that this relation comprehends both the relation of exact location between one continuant and another which obtains when r and r1 are identical (for example, when a portion of fluid exactly fills a cavity), as well as those sorts of inexact location relations which obtain, for example, between brain and head or between ovum and uterus
IAO_0000116: Most location relations will only hold at certain times, but this is difficult to specify in OWL. See http://purl.obolibrary.org/obo/ro/docs/temporal-semantics/
IAO_0000118: located_in
RO_0001900: RO_0001901
source: http://www.obofoundry.org/ro/#OBO_REL:located_in

Axiom
annotated source: located in
annotated property: domain
annotated target: independent continuant
IAO_0000116: This is redundant with the more specific 'independent and not spatial region' constraint. We leave in the redundant axiom for use with reasoners that do not use negation.

Axiom
annotated source: located in
annotated property: range
annotated target: independent continuant
IAO_0000116: This is redundant with the more specific 'independent and not spatial region' constraint. We leave in the redundant axiom for use with reasoners that do not use negation.

2D boundary of
type: ObjectProperty
inverse of: has 2D boundary
IAO_0000112: the surface of my skin is a 2D boundary of my body
IAO_0000115: a relation between a 2D immaterial entity (the boundary) and a material entity, in which the boundary delimits the material entity
IAO_0000116: A 2D boundary may have holes and gaps, but it must be a single connected entity, not an aggregate of several disconnected parts.
IAO_0000116: Although the boundary is two-dimensional, it exists in three-dimensional space and thus has a 3D shape.
IAO_0000118: 2D_boundary_of
IAO_0000118: boundary of
IAO_0000118: is 2D boundary of
IAO_0000118: is boundary of
RO_0001900: RO_0001901

has 2D boundary
type: ObjectProperty
domain: material entity
range: immaterial entity
IAO_0000112: my body has 2D boundary the surface of my skin
IAO_0000115: a relation between a material entity and a 2D immaterial entity (the boundary), in which the boundary delimits the material entity
IAO_0000116: A 2D boundary may have holes and gaps, but it must be a single connected entity, not an aggregate of several disconnected parts.
IAO_0000116: Although the boundary is two-dimensional, it exists in three-dimensional space and thus has a 3D shape.
IAO_0000118: has boundary
IAO_0000118: has_2D_boundary
RO_0001900: RO_0001901

member of
type: ObjectProperty
sub property of: part of
inverse of: has member
IAO_0000112: An organism that is a member of a population of organisms
IAO_0000115: is member of is a mereological relation between a item and a collection.
IAO_0000118: is member of
IAO_0000118: member part of
IAO_0000119: SIO
RO_0001900: RO_0001901

has member
type: ObjectProperty
sub property of: has part
type: IrreflexiveProperty
IAO_0000115: has member is a mereological relation between a collection and an item.
IAO_0000119: SIO
RO_0001900: RO_0001901

DEPRECATED inheres in
type: ObjectProperty
comment: DEPRECATED This relation is similar to but different in important respects to the characteristic-of relation. See comments on that relation for more information.
deprecated: true

DEPRECATED bearer of
type: ObjectProperty
deprecated: true

continuant
type: Class
disjoint with: occurrent
disjoint with: Restriction
  on property: part of
  some values from: occurrent
IAO_0000115: An entity that exists in full at any time in which it exists at all, persists through time while maintaining its identity and has no temporal parts.

occurrent
type: Class
disjoint with: Restriction
  on property: part of
  some values from: continuant
IAO_0000115: An entity that has temporal parts and that happens, unfolds or develops through time.

independent continuant
type: Class
subclass of: continuant
disjoint with: specifically dependent continuant
disjoint with: generically dependent continuant
IAO_0000115: b is an independent continuant = Def. b is a continuant which is such that there is no c and no t such that b s-depends_on c at t. (axiom label in BFO2 Reference: [017-002])
comment: A continuant that is a bearer of quality and realizable entity entities, in which other entities inhere and which itself cannot inhere in anything.

spatial region
type: Class
subclass of: immaterial entity

process
type: Class
subclass of: occurrent
IAO_0000115: p is a process = Def. p is an occurrent that has temporal proper parts and for some time t, p s-depends_on some material entity at t. (axiom label in BFO2 Reference: [083-003])
comment: An occurrent that has temporal proper parts and for some time t, p s-depends_on some material entity at t.

disposition
type: Class
subclass of: realizable entity
disjoint with: role

realizable entity
type: Class
subclass of: specifically dependent continuant
disjoint with: quality
IAO_0000115: A specifically dependent continuant that inheres in continuant entities and are not exhibited in full at every time in which it inheres in an entity or group of entities. The exhibition or actualization of a realizable entity is a particular manifestation, functioning or process that occurs under certain circumstances.

quality
type: Class
subclass of: specifically dependent continuant

specifically dependent continuant
type: Class
subclass of: continuant
disjoint with: generically dependent continuant
IAO_0000115: b is a specifically dependent continuant = Def. b is a continuant & there is some independent continuant c which is not a spatial region and which is such that b s-depends_on c at every time t during the course of b’s existence. (axiom label in BFO2 Reference: [050-003])
comment: A continuant that inheres in or is borne by other entities. Every instance of A requires some specific instance of B which must always be the same.

role
type: Class
subclass of: realizable entity
IAO_0000115: A realizable entity the manifestation of which brings about some result or end that is not essential to a continuant in virtue of the kind of thing that it is but that can be served or participated in by that kind of continuant in some kinds of natural, social or institutional contexts.

generically dependent continuant
type: Class
subclass of: continuant
IAO_0000115: b is a generically dependent continuant = Def. b is a continuant that g-depends_on one or more other entities. (axiom label in BFO2 Reference: [074-001])
comment: A continuant that is dependent on one or other independent continuant bearers. For every instance of A requires some instance of (an independent continuant type) B but which instance of B serves can change from time to time.

function
type: Class
subclass of: disposition

material entity
type: Class
subclass of: independent continuant
disjoint with: immaterial entity
IAO_0000115: An independent continuant that is spatially extended whose identity is independent of that of other entities and can be maintained through time.

immaterial entity
type: Class
subclass of: independent continuant