Final answer:
The Protein Data Bank primarily stores protein structures including their primary, secondary, tertiary, and quaternary structures. These 3D structures offer critical insights into protein function and evolution.
Step-by-step explanation:
The primary type of information stored in the Protein Data Bank is B. Protein structures. This includes data on the primary, secondary, tertiary, and quaternary structure of proteins, which are crucial for understanding how proteins perform their specific functions in the body. The 3D structures of proteins carry significant evolutionary information, often more so than the genetic sequences that encode them. To use molecular databases effectively, one would start by downloading the relevant protein data, which has been cataloged with unique codes for each structure in databases like the RCSB Protein Data Bank.
By comparing this structural data, researchers can gain insights into protein motifs and the evolutionary history of different organisms. Knowledge of the three-dimensional conformation further aids in understanding the biological function of proteins, thereby advancing fields such as medicine and biotechnology. For genetic sequences, databases such as GenBank provide a vast repository where researchers can compare new sequences to existing data.