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

---

genome Scientific  

/ jē′nōm /

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

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.

Example Sentences

The groundbreaking genome sequencing is from a Barbary macaque called Crinkle at Trentham Monkey Forest, Stoke-on-Trent.

From BBC • Apr. 7, 2026

The past quarter-century has hosted a dizzying array of innovation, as the cutting edge of technology moved from Palm Pilots and flip phones to mobile internet, artificial intelligence, genome sequencing and so much more.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 6, 2026

Their genomes are often up to twice the size of the human genome, which requires advanced technology and significant computing power to analyze.

From Science Daily • Apr. 1, 2026

The combination of "three different disruptive technologies: genome sequencing, artificial intelligence, and RNA therapeutics... offers new possibilities and challenges", Smith said.

From Barron's • Mar. 30, 2026

The human genome contains about between twenty-one and twenty-three thousand genes that provide the master instructions to build, repair, and maintain humans.

From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee