F Phenylalanine in
proteins FAQ Frequently asked questions. A compiled list of questions
and answers inteneed for new users of a computer-based
resource. FASTA A popular sequence comparison algorithm, that is used to
search sequence databases for optimal local alignments to a
query feature Annotation on a specifi location on a given sequence fecundity A fitness component. The number of births or eggs per
individual of a given genotype. fertility A fitness component. The number of live offspring per
individual of a given genotype file generic name for any collection of information stored tin
the computer's secondary storage ( anything but RAM or cache
i.e. hard disk, CD or backup tape) Filtering Some reginos of sequences have particular characteristics
(such as repeated patters) that lead to spurious high
scores. Filtering, or masking, replaces these regions of
sequece with an "X" for proteins, or "N" for nucleic
acids. finger A UNIX command to find out information about a user on a
system (i.e. finger username@comp ) firewall The separation of a company or organization's internal
network from the public part, if any, of the same network.
Intended to prevent unauthorized access to private computer
systems. FISH Fluorescent in situ hybridization A technique for
locating markers on chromosomes by observing the
hybridization positions of fluorescent markers. fitness The ability of an organism or allele to survive and
reproduce. A measure of the relative survival and
reproductive success of an individual or a genotype. The
relatively contribution of an individual or a genotype to
future generations. fixation The situation that occurs when a single allele reaches a
frequency of 100% in a population. fixation probability The probability that a particular allele will become
fixed in a population fixation time The time it takes for a mutant allele to become fixed in
a population. flanking sequence Untranscribed sequences at the 5' or 3' terminal of
transcribed genes floating point numbers numbers that include a decimal fraction fMet N-formylmethionine, the modified amino acid carried by
the tRNA that is used during the initiation of translation
in bacteria. Fold The overall folding pattern of a 3D protein structure FORTRAN Formula Translation - An early programming language
especially designed for scientific computing. foldback DNA DNA that contains a perfect or nearly perfect palindrome
and is able to form a hairpin-like structure by folding back
on itself when single-stranded. fosmid A high-capacity vector carrying the F plasmid origin of
replication and a lambda cos site. fourfold degenerate site A nucleotide site within a codon at which all possible
substitutions are synonymous fractal geometrical structures in which the same pattern is
repeated at many different scales. This self-similarity is a
common pattern seen in nature. fragile site A positon in a chromosome that is prone to brreakage
because it contains an expanded trinucleotide repeat
sequence (Fragile X Syndrome). frameshifting The controlled movement of a ribosome from one reading
frame to another at an internal position within a gene. frameshift mutation A mutation disturbing the reading frame of a
protein-coding gene. A deletion or an insertion of DNA
segment that is not three nucleotides or a multiple of
three. frameshifted protein A protein encoded entirely or in part by a reading frame
different from the original or main reading frame of a
gene free form text The opposite of a "controlled" vocabulary. Free text has
no structured set of words, such that two related entries
might not be identified in a search because different words
are used to describe each entry. ftp File Transfer Protocol. The method by which files are
transferred between hosts. functional analysis The area of genome research devoted to identifying the
functions of unknown genes. functional constraint The degree of intolerance characteristic of a site or a
locus toward nucleotide substitutions functional domain A well-defined region within a protein that can perform a
specific function. May not consist of a continuous stretch
of amino acids, although it almost always consists of amino
acids that are adjacent to each other as far as the tertiary
structure of the protein is concerned. Functional genomics the study of obtaining an overall picture of genome
functions, including the expression profiles at the mRNA
level (transcriptome) and the protein level (proteome) fusion protein A protein that consists of a fusion of two polypeptides,
or parts of polypeptides, normally coded by separate genes.
Often used to probe the location of a protein when fused
with Green Fluorescent Protein.
