7 Sequence Alignment
DNA sequences are complicated structures that have been difficult to decode. A strand of DNA contains coding regions that produce genes and contains noncoding regions that may or may not have functionality. As systems evolve, genes are sometimes passed on with small alterations or relocations. Since the noncoding regions are less important in many respects, they are often passed on with more alterations. These similarities allow us to infer the functionality of a gene by relating it to other genes with known functions.
The main computational engine for accomplishing this comparison is to align sequences. The purpose of alignment is to demonstrate the similarity of two (or more) sequences. At first this sounds like an easy ...
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