Bioinformatics

Bioinformatics is an <a href="/facts/Interdisciplinary/HP0uaNUs">interdisciplinary</a> field of <a href="/facts/Science/IJoaD7rs">science</a> that develops methods and <a href="/facts/Bioinformatics_software/8n6pDy3q">software tools</a> for understanding <a href="/facts/Biological/1M1ee3pB">biological</a> data, especially when the data sets are large and complex. Bioinformatics uses <a href="/facts/Biology/1M1ee3pB">biology</a>, <a href="/facts/Chemistry/SrNqkGVm">chemistry</a>, <a href="/facts/Physics/a7aH2y08">physics</a>, <a href="/facts/Computer_science/lN3pEyPz">computer science</a>, <a href="/facts/Data_science/AHYUo0Rn">data science</a>, <a href="/facts/Computer_programming/QmSsFnu0">computer programming</a>, <a href="/facts/Information_engineering/bG73LYVS">information engineering</a>, <a href="/facts/Mathematics/pxTouaz4">mathematics</a> and <a href="/facts/Statistics/DNPsKGYU">statistics</a> to analyze and interpret <a href="/facts/Biological_data/y6rI6UFS">biological data</a>. The process of analyzing and interpreting data can sometimes be referred to as <a href="/facts/Computational_biology/GxgNfwcX">computational biology</a>, however this distinction between the two terms is often disputed. To some, the term computational biology refers to building and using models of biological systems.
Computational, statistical, and computer programming techniques have been used for <a href="/facts/In_silico/g2Cz0ejg">computer simulation</a> analyses of biological queries. They include reused specific analysis "pipelines", particularly in the field of <a href="/facts/Genomics/pVU3BGpL">genomics</a>, such as by the identification of <a href="/facts/Gene/e1swwPY6">genes</a> and single <a href="/facts/Nucleotide/pQKEwlJI">nucleotide</a> polymorphisms (<a href="/facts/SNPs/Qy5Y2wom">SNPs</a>). These pipelines are used to better understand the genetic basis of disease, unique adaptations, desirable properties (especially in agricultural species), or differences between populations. Bioinformatics also includes <a href="/facts/Proteomics/3aqQ1tFh">proteomics</a>, which tries to understand the organizational principles within <a href="/facts/Nucleic_acid/2tTgcI0v">nucleic acid</a> and <a href="/facts/Protein/Jxmagu3E">protein</a> sequences.
Image and <a href="/facts/Signal_processing/Npaja6zb">signal processing</a> allow extraction of useful results from large amounts of raw data. In the field of genetics, it aids in sequencing and annotating genomes and their observed <a href="/facts/Mutation/Ee4NnWbY">mutations</a>. Bioinformatics includes <a href="/facts/Text_mining/5QsIa3Cz">text mining</a> of biological literature and the development of biological and gene <a href="/facts/Ontologies/SQlhl6lp">ontologies</a> to organize and query biological data. It also plays a role in the analysis of gene and protein expression and regulation. Bioinformatics tools aid in comparing, analyzing and interpreting genetic and genomic data and more generally in the understanding of evolutionary aspects of molecular biology. At a more integrative level, it helps analyze and catalogue the biological pathways and networks that are an important part of <a href="/facts/Systems_biology/HTH1z1RA">systems biology</a>. In <a href="/facts/Structural_biology/XRkPtHYv">structural biology</a>, it aids in the simulation and modeling of DNA, RNA, proteins as well as biomolecular interactions.

Bioinformatics open-in-new

Bioinformatics