▁format ). ▁This ▁does ▁not ▁imply ▁a ▁contradiction ▁with ▁the ▁format ▁as ▁only ▁the ▁first ▁line ▁in ▁a ▁FA ST A ▁file ▁may ▁start ▁with ▁a ▁"; " ▁or ▁" >", ▁hence ▁forcing ▁all ▁subsequent ▁sequences ▁to ▁start ▁with ▁a ▁" >" ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁be ▁taken ▁as ▁different ▁ones ▁( and ▁further ▁forcing ▁the ▁exclusive ▁res ervation ▁of ▁" >" ▁for ▁the ▁sequence ▁definition ▁line ). ▁Thus , ▁the ▁examples ▁above ▁may ▁as ▁well ▁be ▁taken ▁as ▁a ▁mult ise quence ▁( i . e ▁multi - FA ST A ) ▁file ▁if ▁taken ▁together . ▁ ▁Now ad ays , ▁modern ▁bio in form atic ▁programs ▁that ▁rely ▁on ▁the ▁FA ST A ▁format ▁expect ▁the ▁sequence ▁headers ▁to ▁be ▁preced ed ▁by ▁" >", ▁and ▁the ▁actual ▁sequence , ▁while ▁generally ▁represented ▁as ▁" inter le aved ", ▁i . e . ▁on ▁multiple ▁lines ▁as ▁in ▁the ▁above ▁example , ▁may ▁also ▁be ▁" sequ ential " ▁when ▁the ▁full ▁stretch ▁is ▁found ▁on ▁a ▁single ▁line . ▁Users ▁may ▁often ▁need ▁to ▁perform ▁conversion ▁between ▁" Sequ ential " ▁and ▁" Inter le aved " ▁FA ST A ▁format ▁to ▁run ▁different ▁bio in form atic ▁programs . ▁ ▁Description ▁line ▁ ▁The ▁description ▁line ▁( def line ) ▁or ▁header / identifier ▁line , ▁which ▁begins ▁with ▁' > ', ▁gives ▁a ▁name ▁and / or ▁a ▁unique ▁identifier ▁for ▁the ▁sequence , ▁and ▁may ▁also ▁contain ▁additional ▁information . ▁In ▁a ▁deprecated ▁practice , ▁the ▁header