Biological databases organize information produced by biological research so that scientists can find, compare, and analyze it. This lesson introduces the kinds of information these resources contain, why they matter, how people access them, and some challenges involved in connecting data across databases.
A biological database is an organized resource containing information relevant to biological sciences. Its information may come from scientific experiments, published literature, high-throughput technologies, or computational analysis.
All flashcards
What is a biological database?
An organized resource containing biological information from sources such as experiments, publications, and computational analysis.
How do molecular and functional databases differ?
Molecular databases focus on molecules and related information; functional databases focus on topics such as physiology, enzyme activities, phenotypes, or ecology.
What is interoperability between biological databases?
The ability of different systems to exchange and use information together.
How can accession numbers help connect database records?
They provide stable identifiers for linking related records, even when names change.
What is a model-organism database?
A resource that organizes information about one or more species commonly used in research.
Quiz questions
Which resource is described as providing protein information and sequence data?Answer: UniProt.
What is the primary purpose of the Catalogue of Life?Answer: To provide a consolidated reference for accepted species and their taxonomy.
What kinds of images are included in WoundsDB, a resource for developing wound-monitoring algorithms?Answer: Photographs, thermal images, and 3D mesh depth maps.
What does the annual Nucleic Acids Research Database Issue commonly publish?Answer: Articles about new databases and updates to existing resources.
Which database is associated with the laboratory mouse, Mus musculus?Answer: Mouse Genome Informatics.