What does the term "bioinformatics" refer to?

The term "bioinformatics" refers to the application of computer technology to manage biological data. This field encompasses the development of software tools and algorithms to understand biological processes, particularly as they relate to large sets of biological data, such as genomic sequences and protein structures. Bioinformatics is essential in modern biology and medicine, as it allows researchers to analyze and interpret vast amounts of data generated by experiments, such as sequencing projects, helping to extract meaningful insights.

In contrast, the other options pertain to different fields. The study of wildlife populations relates to ecology and environmental science, focusing on biological diversity and ecosystem dynamics. Methods for enhancing crop yields are associated with agricultural sciences, dealing with improving food production techniques. A laboratory technique for DNA sequencing refers to specific biotechnological methods used to determine the sequence of nucleotides in DNA, which is an application that can benefit from bioinformatics but does not define the field itself.