This document provides an overview of the FASTA software. FASTA is a program used by biologists to study and analyze DNA and protein sequences. It uses a simple text-based format to present sequences and allows for the naming of sequences and inclusion of comments. FASTA is a rapid program that can be used locally or through email servers to find regional similarities between sequences and identify potential matches while ignoring complete sensitivity. It has become a standard tool in biology for sequencing and analyzing proteins and DNA.