GO:0005669

A complex composed of TATA binding protein (TBP) and TBP associated factors (TAFs); the total mass is typically about 800 kDa. Most of the TAFs are conserved across species. In TATA-containing promoters for RNA polymerase II (Pol II), TFIID is believed to recognize at least two distinct elements, the TATA element and a downstream promoter element. TFIID is also involved in recognition of TATA-less Pol II promoters. Binding of TFIID to DNA is necessary but not sufficient for transcription initiation from most RNA polymerase II promoters. [GOC:krc, GOC:mah, ISBN:0471953393, ISBN:0879695501]