biology

Model organism database

Model organism database is a biology topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Model organism database rather than just read about it. In short: Model organism databases (MODs) are biological databases, or knowledgebases, dedicated to the provision of in-depth biological data for intensively studied model organisms. MODs allow researchers to easily find background information on large sets of genes, efficiently plan experiments, integrate their data with existing knowledge, and formulate new hypotheses.

Key takeaways

Model organism database belongs to biology; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Model organism database to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Model organism database from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Model organism databases (MODs) are biological databases, or knowledgebases, dedicated to the provision of in-depth biological data for intensively studied model organisms. MODs allow researchers to easily find background information on large sets of genes, efficiently plan experiments, integrate their data with existing knowledge, and formulate new hypotheses. They allow users to analyse results and interpret datasets, and the data they generate are increasingly used to describe less well studied species. Where possible, MODs share common approaches to collect and represent biological information. For example, all MODs use the Gene Ontology (GO) to describe functions, processes and cellular locations of specific gene products. Projects also exist to enable software sharing for curation, visualization and querying between different MODs. Organismal diversity and varying user requirements however mean that MODs are often required to customize capture, display, and provision of data.

Types of data and services Model organism databases generate, source and collate species-specific information integratively by combining expert knowledge with literature curation and bioinformatics. Services provided to biological research communities include:

Genome sequence annotations Location of genes and regulatory regions in the genome Functional curation of gene products Discern functions fulfilled by the gene product by looking at a variety of data including Gene Ontology (GO) annotations, phenotypes, gene expression, pathway information Protein/RNA sequence annotations Anatomical information Stock centres Orthology

List of model organism databases

References

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Model organism database

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Model organism database claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In biology, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Model organism database before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Model organism database ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Model organism database

In research: Model organism database appears in biology research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Model organism database in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Model organism database is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Model organism databases, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Model organism database outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Model organism database in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Model organism database means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Model organism database out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Model organism database in simple terms?

Why does Model organism database matter?

Because it connects several biology ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Model organism database?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Model organism database.