Bioinformatics

This web page was produced as an
assignment for bioinformatics at Samford.

In order to better understand bioinformatics we need to first establish a general definition.

Bioinformatics is an area of science designed to study biological information from large sets of data including, but not limited to, protein interactions, sequences such as those found in DNA, RNA, proteins, and microarrays. Bioinformatics deals with these data using computer programs that help with data acquisition, visualization, and comparison (Campbell and Heyer 2007).

Within this broad definition of bioinformatics we find other areas of science including genomics and proteomics.

genome – all of an organism’s genetic information, contained in DNA or RNA

Genomics involves the study of reference genome sequences, which are digital representations of nucleic acid sequences, DNA microarrays, systems biology, which attempts a holistic view on biology, circuits among interconnected proteins and genes, and variations within a species’ genome (Campbell and Heyer 2007).

Proteomics is concerned with the study of all the proteins within a system at a particular time including their three-dimensional structures, roles, and interactions. Proteomics also determines which proteins are present in the system and in what quantities at specific times (Campbell and Heyer 2007).

Now, a definition can never do justice to any field of study, especially one as vast as bioinformatics. It’s much more beneficial to actually get your hands dirty and dig into the material a bit. So, if you’d like to get a better grasp on what bioinformatics entails, move to the Applications page.

24 February 2011

Contact: jlboatwr@samford.edu

Biology 306

Samford University