ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Sequence covering map

Imagine you have a huge puzzle with lots of small pieces that are all different shapes and colors. You want to put them together and create a big picture, but you need a map to help you figure out where each piece goes.

A sequence covering map is like a map for a puzzle made out of letters or DNA. It shows you how different pieces of the sequence fit together to make a bigger picture, like a strand of DNA or a word in a sentence.

Each piece of the sequence is like a puzzle piece. Some of the pieces fit together perfectly, like a puzzle piece that slides into place. Other pieces don't fit well and you need to find a new piece that matches better.

A sequence covering map helps you figure out what puzzle pieces you need and where they fit best. It shows you which puzzle pieces are already in place and which ones you still need to find.

In the end, when all the puzzle pieces are put together in the right order, you have the complete sequence or a complete sentence!