Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 10, 2026

A Practical Guide to Phylogenetics for Nonexperts
Published on: February 5, 2014
An introduction to sequence similarity ("homology") searching
1University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Virginia.
Abstract:
Sequence similarity searching, typically with BLAST, is the most widely used and most reliable strategy for characterizing newly determined sequences. Sequence similarity searches can identify "homologous" proteins or genes by detecting excess similarity- statistically significant similarity that reflects common ancestry. This unit provides an overview of the inference of homology from significant similarity, and introduces other units in this chapter that provide more details on effective strategies for identifying homologs.
Related Concept Videos
Evolutionary Relationships through Genome Comparisons
Homologous Recombination
Homologous Recombination
Protein Families
Convergent Evolution
Modern Molecular Taxonomy

