NCBI

Definition

The National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) is a key resource that provides access to a wealth of biomedical and genomic information. It plays a crucial role in storing and sharing data related to genetics, genomics, and molecular biology, facilitating research and discovery in these fields. NCBI's databases are essential for studying evolutionary relationships through orthology and paralogy, as well as for analyzing microbial communities in various environments.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. NCBI was established in 1988 as part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to support the growth of biotechnology and genomics.
2. It hosts several databases, including GenBank, which contains millions of nucleotide sequences, making it a vital resource for genetic research.
3. NCBI offers tools like BLAST that allow researchers to find homologous sequences, helping them understand evolutionary relationships.
4. The NCBI Taxonomy Database is essential for microbial community profiling, providing taxonomic information on organisms found in various environments.
5. Researchers can access tools such as Gene and Variation Viewer through NCBI to analyze gene functions and variations across species.

Review Questions

• How does NCBI facilitate research on orthology and paralogy, and why is this important for understanding evolutionary biology?
  • NCBI supports research on orthology and paralogy by providing databases like GenBank that contain genetic sequences from diverse organisms. Researchers can utilize tools such as BLAST to identify homologous genes across species, allowing them to trace evolutionary relationships. This information is vital for understanding the functional similarities and differences between genes derived from a common ancestor, contributing to the broader study of evolutionary biology.
• Discuss the role of NCBI in microbial community profiling and how its resources enhance our understanding of microbial diversity.
  • NCBI plays a significant role in microbial community profiling by offering access to comprehensive databases that catalog microbial genomes and sequences. The NCBI Taxonomy Database provides detailed taxonomic information essential for identifying and classifying microorganisms within environmental samples. By using NCBI's resources, researchers can analyze microbial diversity, understand ecological interactions, and investigate the roles these communities play in their ecosystems.
• Evaluate how NCBI's resources impact the field of genomics and provide examples of their applications in current research.
  • NCBI's resources have a profound impact on the field of genomics by offering accessible databases and tools that streamline genetic research. For instance, GenBank enables researchers to deposit and retrieve nucleotide sequences easily, fostering collaboration and data sharing. Additionally, tools like BLAST facilitate comparative genomics studies by allowing scientists to identify gene functions across different organisms. These capabilities drive advancements in areas such as personalized medicine, evolutionary biology, and biodiversity conservation.

Related terms

BLAST:

Basic Local Alignment Search Tool, a program used for comparing an input sequence against a database to find regions of similarity.

GenBank:

A genetic sequence database maintained by NCBI that houses publicly available DNA sequences from various organisms.

PubMed: A free database of references and abstracts on life sciences and biomedical topics, also managed by NCBI, useful for literature research.