C. Data aggregates (lists and tables)

1. The need for data aggregates
2. Lists
   1. Simple lists - how to make them
   2. Complex lists
   3. Accessing information from lists
   4. Sets
3. Tables

C.1. The need for data aggregates

It is extraordinarily helpful to be able to refer to aggregates of data. Suppose you want to extract the upstream region of cpcB (the first gene of the operon devoted to formation of phycocyanin) from all cyanobacteria. You've found the names of all available cpcB genes (here's how you could have done it). Now, you could get the sequences this way, one tedious gene at a time:

(DEFINE upstream-of-A7120-cpcB AS (SEQUENCE-UPSTREAM-OF alr0528))
:: "GGAACAGAGAGCAAGGGGGAGAAACTTAAAGATTTCCCCAATCCCAATTCCTCATCTCTCATCCCTGG..."

(DEFINE upstream-of-S6803-cpcB AS (SEQUENCE-UPSTREAM-OF sll1577))
:: "GACTAAAAAAAGACTTGAATGTCACTAACTACATCCAGTCTTTGCCATGGCCAGTCTTTCCACCAGAG..."

(DEFINE upstream-of-Npun-cpcB AS (SEQUENCE-UPSTREAM-OF npf5289))
:: "TAACCACAAGTTTGCAAAATTACAGATATACCTGTATAAATCAAAAAACTACGGCAATTTTATCAAAA..."
...

... and on and on. What is merely tedious here is a practical impossibility if you want to apply an operation to, say, every gene in an organism!

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