genome
Americannoun
noun
-
the full complement of genetic material within an organism
-
all the genes comprising a haploid set of chromosomes
-
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.
-
Compare proteome
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of genome
First recorded in 1925–30; from German Genom, from Gen gene + (Chromos)om chromosome
Explanation
The human genome is the map of your DNA, the double helix that contains all your genes. Your genome is all the genetic material contained in your 23 pairs of chromosomes, a total of more than 20,000 genes. Every organism has its own unique genome. "The Human Genome Project," completed in 2003, was an international effort to identify all the genes in human DNA and to determine the sequences of the 3 billion (yes, billion) base pairs — the smaller units that make up DNA. It took 13 years. Genome research has helped diagnose disease and find genetic markers for certain diseases.
Vocabulary lists containing genome
This Week In Words: March 29–April 4, 2020
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Genetics - Middle School
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Life Science: Genetics and Evolution
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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 study, published March 29 in Genome Medicine, focused on how these drugs affect blood sugar.
From Science Daily • Apr. 12, 2026
Genome sequencing of E. coli isolated from each patient found that the strains were closely genetically related, suggesting that all of the ill people were exposed to the same source of infection.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 2, 2026
By examining small RNA sequencing data from The Cancer Genome Atlas across 32 different cancer types, we identified approximately 260,000 cancer-specific small RNAs.
From Science Daily • Feb. 17, 2026
This was completed in 2003 by the Human Genome Project.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 4, 2026
In about twelve hours, in an undergraduate dorm room in New York, he had poured the foundation for the Human Genome Project.
From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
