Data Fields - Detailed Description

The record we looked at in the previous slide, U49845, has been used as the foundation of sample GenBank record, which provides a detailed description of each data field. Click on any field to see a description. Some data elements are also linked to descriptions.

An in-depth knowledge of the data fields in a sequence record will help you to understand the various ways in which the data can be retrieved, and to therefore use search systems such and Entrez more effectively.

In addition, many users ask questions about specific data elements in sequence records, such as the difference between the accession number, version, and GI number, the meaning of the date in the Locus field, and more.

(The GenBank Sample Record is also accessible from the NCBI Alphabetical Quick Links Table or Resource Guide.)