8.4.5Unit 6: Practical Skills in Biology II
Bioinformatics — IAL Edexcel Linear Revision Notes & Topical Questions
5 min read 5 parts Lesson 47 of 48 Unit quiz
Curriculum Equation Key قوانين الرقم الهيدروجيني والاتزان الأيوني - pH & Acid-Base Equilibrium FormulasFast Exam Solution
pH = -log[H⁺] | pOH = -log[OH⁻] | pH + pOH = 14 | [H⁺][OH⁻] = 10⁻¹⁴
Word Equation & Conditions: الرقم الهيدروجيني = -لوغاريتم تركيز أيون الهيدروجين | pH + pOH = 14
Location & Specifications: الاتزان الأيوني، كيمياء 3 ثانوي، التحصيلي، و AP Chemistry.
Part 1 of 5What Bioinformatics Is
What Bioinformatics Is
Definition
- Definition An interdisciplinary science that combines biology with computing and statistics to collect, organise, store and analyse biological data.
Data sources
- Data sources Genome sequencing, microarrays and protein studies produce enormous quantities of data that cannot be handled by hand.
Databases
- Databases Large online databases store gene sequences, amino acid sequences and protein functions, and can run analyses on selected data.
Collaboration
- Collaboration Research groups around the world add to shared databases, and other groups can analyse the results and raise queries.
Part 2 of 5Applications in Research
Gene function
- Gene function The same gene can be compared across different species to help work out what it does.
Evolution
- Evolution DNA sequences from different species can be compared to establish how closely they are related.
Drug discovery
- Drug discovery Libraries of molecules can be scanned by computer to find new drug candidates much faster than laboratory testing.
Computer models
- Computer models The effects of different molecules on cells can be simulated, so candidate drugs are tested safely before any trials.
Gene technology
- Gene technology Suitable genes for recombinant DNA can be identified, along with the best place to insert them in the genome.
Part 3 of 5Applications in Medicine
1
A patient's DNA is sequenced, or their gene expression is measured on a microarray, producing a large set of data.
2
Software compares the data with reference sequences stored in databases to find mutations or unusual patterns of expression.
3
The results are used to develop new genetic tests that can identify people at risk of a genetic disease.
4
Data from many patients are analysed together so that treatment can be matched to the individual, which is personalised medicine.
5
Findings about which genes cause a disorder help in designing new gene therapies to correct the problem.
Part 4 of 5Strengths and Limits
Strengths and Limits
Speed
- Speed Computers analyse millions of bases in a short time, which makes projects such as whole-genome comparisons possible.
Sharing
- Sharing Open databases let scientists check each other's work and avoid repeating experiments that have already been done.
Reliability
- Reliability Conclusions are only as good as the data entered, so errors in a database may be passed on to later users.
Privacy
- Privacy Genetic data about individuals is sensitive, so storage and sharing raise ethical questions about consent and security.
Part 5 of 5Exam Checklist & Tips
8.4.5 – Key Points for the Exam
- Bioinformatics The use of computing and statistics to store and analyse biological data.
- Database An organised collection of data, such as gene sequences, that can be searched online.
- Genome The complete set of genetic material of an organism.
- Personalised medicine Treatment chosen to suit the genetic make-up of an individual patient.
- Gene expression The use of a gene to make a protein through transcription and translation.
Common Mistakes
- Describing bioinformatics as a laboratory technique;
- it is the computer-based analysis of data produced by laboratory methods.
- Saying that databases only hold DNA sequences;
- they also hold amino acid sequences and information on protein function.
- Forgetting to link applications to data, such as comparing sequences to show evolutionary relationships.
- Assuming that a computer model replaces all testing; simulations only select candidates for further trials.
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