genome
JEE-nohm
/ˈdʒiːnoʊm/
The complete set of genetic material present in a cell or organism.
Refers to the entire collective DNA code of an organism, including all genes and non-coding sequences.
The story behind the word. Coined in 1920 by German botanist Hans Winkler by combining 'GENe' with the suffix '-OME' (from chromosome). He wanted a single term to express the total chromosome set of an organism.
Word relationships
- genetic code: Genetic code refers to the translation rules (codons) used by organisms, whereas genome refers to the physical sequence of DNA itself.
Commonly confused with
- gene: A gene is a single subunit encoding a specific protein; a genome is the total collection of all genes and non-coding sequences.
Word family
- genomic (adjective): Relating to the genome
- genomics (noun): The branch of molecular biology concerned with genomes
Collocations
- human genome
- genome sequencing
- genome editing
- viral genome
Example sentences
- "The completion of the Human Genome Project in 2003 laid the foundation for modern personalized medicine." Genomics breakthrough report
- "Comparative analysis of the chimpanzee genome reveals over 98 percent sequence identity with human DNA." Academic research paper
Memory hook
GENOME = GENe + CHROmOSOME total collection. Entire genetic library
When not to use
Do not use 'genome' when referring to a single individual gene or locus; genome represents the entire library.
Fun facts
- If stretched out end-to-end, the DNA in a single human genome would measure about 2 meters in length.
- Over 98% of the human genome does not code for proteins directly and was once misnamed 'junk DNA'.
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