page_title: Sequence space (evolution)
hierarchical_section_title: Sequence space (evolution)
caption_attribution_description: English: Protein sequence space can be represented as a space with n dimensions, where n is the number of amino acids in the protein. Each axis has 20 positions representing the 20 amino acids. There are 400 possible 2 amino acid proteins (dipeptide) which can be arranged in a 2D grid. the 8000 tripeptides can be arranged in a 3D cube. There are an astronomical number of longer protein sequences which are arranged in large, multidimensional spaces.
context_page_description: In evolutionary biology, sequence space is a way of representing all possible sequences. The sequence space has one dimension per amino acid or nucleotide in the sequence leading to highly dimensional spaces.
  Most sequences in sequence space have no function, leaving relatively small regions that are populated by naturally occurring genes. Each protein sequence is adjacent to all other sequences that can be reached through a single mutation. It has been estimated that the whole functional protein sequence space has been explored by life on the Earth. Evolution can be visualised as the process of sampling nearby sequences in sequence space and moving to any with improved fitness over the current one.
context_section_description: In evolutionary biology, sequence space is a way of representing all possible sequences (for a protein, gene or genome). The sequence space has one dimension per amino acid or nucleotide in the sequence leading to highly dimensional spaces.
  Most sequences in sequence space have no function, leaving relatively small regions that are populated by naturally occurring genes. Each protein sequence is adjacent to all other sequences that can be reached through a single mutation. It has been estimated that the whole functional protein sequence space has been explored by life on the Earth. Evolution can be visualised as the process of sampling nearby sequences in sequence space and moving to any with improved fitness over the current one.
caption: Protein sequence space can be represented as a space with n dimensions, where n is the number of amino acids in the protein. Each axis has 20 positions representing the 20 amino acids. There are 400 possible 2 amino acid proteins (dipeptide) which can be arranged in a 2D grid. the 8000 tripeptides can be arranged in a 3D cube. Most proteins are longer than 100 amino acids and so occupy large, multidimensional spaces containing an astronomical number protein sequences.
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