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genome

American  
[jee-nohm] / ˈdʒi noʊm /
Also genom

noun

Genetics.
  1. a full set of chromosomes; all the inheritable traits of an organism.


genome British  
/ ˈdʒiːnəʊm, dʒɪˈnɒmɪk /

noun

  1. the full complement of genetic material within an organism

  2. all the genes comprising a haploid set of chromosomes

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

genome Scientific  
/ jēnōm /
  1. The total amount of genetic information in the chromosomes of an organism, including its genes and DNA sequences. The genome of eukaryotes is made up of a single, haploid set of chromosomes that is contained in the nucleus of every cell and exists in two copies in all cells except reproductive and red blood cells. The human genome is made up of about 20,000 to 25,000 genes.

  2. Compare proteome


genome Cultural  
  1. The sum of all information contained in the DNA for any living thing. The sequence of all the nucleotides in all the chromosomes of an organism.


Other Word Forms

  • genomic adjective

Etymology

Origin of genome

First recorded in 1925–30; from German Genom, from Gen gene + (Chromos)om chromosome

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The human genome is made up of three billion letters of DNA code – represented by the letters A,C,G and T.

From BBC

"But similar evolutionary signatures in primates suggest this kind of compensatory evolution may be widespread and studying it could clarify how genomes retain ancient functions while adapting to ever-shifting threats," Levine says.

From Science Daily

There is a threshold at which genome doubling becomes advantageous.

From Science Daily

Scientists have successfully reconstructed the genome of Treponema pallidum from human remains that are about 5,500 years old, discovered in the Sabana de Bogotá region of Colombia.

From Science Daily

"By using state-of-the-art DNA techniques and newly published genomes, we were able to determine the ancestry of the Beachy Head Woman with much greater precision than before," William reveals.

From Science Daily