Question

Which biological database is considered a curated, secondary database for protein sequences?

• A. GenBank
• B. UniProtKB/Swiss-Prot
• C. EMBL
• D. DDBJ

Hint:

Primary databases → GenBank, EMBL, DDBJ
Curated secondary protein database → UniProtKB/Swiss-Prot

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

Concept:
Biological databases store information about DNA, RNA, and protein sequences. These databases are generally classified into two categories:

• Primary databases – Contain raw experimental sequence data submitted directly by researchers.
• Secondary (curated) databases – Contain processed, annotated, and reviewed data derived from primary databases.

Secondary databases provide more reliable information because experts carefully analyze and annotate the sequences.
Step 1:Understanding primary databases.
Primary databases such as GenBank, EMBL, and DDBJ store nucleotide sequences submitted by scientists. These entries are not always manually reviewed and may contain redundant or incomplete annotations.
Step 2:Understanding curated secondary databases.
UniProtKB/Swiss-Prot is a curated protein sequence database. Each entry is manually reviewed by experts who add detailed information such as:

• Protein function
• Domain structure
• Post-translational modifications
• Biological pathways
• Literature references

Step 3:Selecting the correct answer.
Among the options, only UniProtKB/Swiss-Prot is a curated secondary database specifically designed for protein sequence annotation. Conclusion:
Therefore, the curated secondary database for protein sequences is UniProtKB/Swiss-Prot.