Chapter 13, Problem 23A

Summary Introduction

To fill:

The correct term in the given blank.

Introduction:

The Human Genome Project (HGP) was undertaken to determine the sequence of nucleotides in human DNA and to identify all its genes. Though the project was over in 2003, the data obtained from the project is still being analyzed.

Answer to Problem 23A

The field of bioinformatics uses computers to index and organize information created by sequencing the human genome.

Explanation of Solution

The completion of HGP and the sequencing of the genomes of other organisms have resulted in huge amounts of data. The data needs to be carefully stored and organized. The sequence information has to be indexed properly. All this has resulted in a new field of study called bioinformatics.

Bioinformatics involves creating and maintaining databases of biological information. The analysis of sequence information involves finding genes in DNA sequences of various organisms and developing methods to predict structure and functions of newly discovered proteins.