What is docking?

Docking, in a general sense, refers to the process of joining two or more objects together. The specific meaning depends heavily on the context. Common examples include: * **Spacecraft Docking:** In space exploration, docking refers to the joining of two spacecraft in orbit. This allows for the transfer of crew or cargo. * **Computer Docking Stations:** A docking station is a hardware device that provides a simplified way of plugging in a laptop or other device to multiple peripherals, such as monitors, keyboards, mice, and external hard drives. * **Molecular Docking:** In computational biology and chemistry, molecular docking is a method used to predict the preferred orientation of one molecule to a second when bound to each other to form a stable complex. Knowledge of the preferred orientation may be used to predict the strength of association or binding affinity between two molecules.