Question

Which of the statements below is true with regard to a background model in bioinformatics? A background model (only one statement is true - by using the mouse, check the appropriate box in front of the option :

a) has to do with pseudo count values
b) refers only to the null model
c) is a reference system
d) computes the transition probabilities
e) avoids the log(0) situations

Answer 1

d) Computes the transition probabilities.

Step-by-step explanation:

In bioinformatics, a background model is used to estimate the statistical properties of a specific genomic region such as the frequency of certain nucleotides or the distribution of specific genes. The background model is used to compute the transition probabilities between different states of a Markov Chain, which is a mathematical model used to describe the biological phenomena. By computing the transition probabilities, we can estimate the likelihood of a sequence of events occurring, which is important in predicting the function of a genomic region. The background model is not related to pseudo count values, null models, reference systems, or avoiding log(0) situations.