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Bioinformatics Converting Data to Knowledge (2000) / Chapter Skim
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The Challenge of Information
Pages 1-4

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From page 1...
... In his Systema Naturae, first published in 1735, he grouped similar speciesall the different types of maple trees, for instance into a higher category called a genus and lumped similar genera into orders, similar orders into classes, and similar classes into kingdoms. His classification system was rapidly adopted by scientists worldwide and, although it has been modified to reflect changing understandings and interpretations, it remains the basis for classifying all living creatures.
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From page 2...
... Rather, the major issue is that biologists are now accumulating far more data than they have ever had to handle before. That is particularly true in molecular biology, where researchers have been identifying genes, proteins, and related objects at an accelerating pace and the completion of the human genome will only speed things up even more.
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From page 3...
... Then and, indeed, at any point up until the last few decades most scientific information was kept in "hard" format: written records, articles in scientific journals, books, artifacts, and various sorts of images, eventually including photographs, x-ray pictures, and CT scans. The information content changed with new discoveries and interpretations, but the form of the information was stable and well understood.
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From page 4...
... "A major motivation is that we are able to use this knowledge to help humanity lead healthy lives." If the data now being accumulated are put to good use, the likely rewards will include improved diagnostic techniques, better treatments, and novel drugs all generated faster and more economically than would otherwise be possible. The challenges are correspondingly formidable.
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Key Terms

  • converting data
  • common language
  • biologic databases
  • traditional ink
  • concern voiced

  • taxonomy transformed
  • novel imaging
  • biology held
  • recent database
  • biologic data

  • lead healthy
  • eventually including
  • imaging techniques
  • individual details
  • generated faster

  • accelerating pace
  • related objects
  • biologic science
  • operate biologic
  • larger picture

  • reflect changing
  • journals available
  • major motivation
  • including data
  • particularly true

  • million bytes
  • transformed biologic
  • diagnostic techniques
  • including photographs
  • written records


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