An Open Reading Frame (ORF) is a continuous sequence of nucleotides in DNA or RNA that can potentially be translated into a protein. It starts with a start codon, usually AUG, and ends with a stop codon, such as UAA, UAG, or UGA. ORFs are important for identifying genes within a genome. Researchers use ORFs to predict the presence of proteins and understand gene function. By analyzing the sequence of an ORF, scientists can determine the amino acid sequence of the resulting protein, which is crucial for studying biological processes and developing treatments for diseases.