Question

What is a database in bioinformatics? Mention their two fundamental types.

Answer 1

Hint: Bioinformatics is referred to as the storing of biological data in the form of a database in computer software. There has been much development in this field because of rapid development in the field of biology and with it, the need for storing all the experimental data has become very much essential.

Complete Step by Step Answer:
The human genome project enabled us to sequence the entire sequence of the base pairs in the genome which are 3 billion in number. Such a huge number cannot be maintained by manual records. Also retrieving required data from such a large manual database makes it very hard. Thus the need for involving technology for data-keeping was realized. The data about the human genome project has been safely stored in databases and this has enabled us to sequence the genome of many other organisms without worrying about record keeping.

The database stored in bioinformatics is mainly of two types:
Primary database: The data entered in the primary database includes all the data from an experiment's result. It is also known as the archival database as everything stored in it is equivalent to a draft (initial stage).
Secondary database: The data which is the result of analyzing primary data is stored in the secondary database. This database stores data which are the final results of an experiment.

Note:
- The human genome project was launched in the year 1990 with the aim of sequencing the entire human genome.
- The human genome project was a 13- year project and was managed by the US Department of energy and the National Institute of health.
- This project was able to sequence all the 30 thousand genes present in the human DNA.