What does genomics mean?
Genomics is the study of an organism’s complete genetic material, or genome, rather than of individual genes alone. It combines techniques such as DNA sequencing, computational analysis, and the comparison of genomes from different organisms or species. The field can reveal how biological traits develop, how species evolve, why certain diseases occur, and how organisms respond to their environments. In medicine, genomic research supports the identification of disease-related variants and the development of personalized treatments. In agriculture and conservation, it helps improve crop resilience and understand vulnerable or endangered populations. Genomics is closely related to genetics, but its scale and methods are generally broader. The word is also used for the large-scale sequencing and analysis of genomic data, making it a useful term for describing modern approaches to studying life at the level of whole DNA sequences.
nounThe study of genomes—the complete genetic material of organisms—including their structure, function, evolution, mapping, and analysis. In modern biology, genomics also refers to the large-scale sequencing and comparison of whole genomes.
- The study of entire genomes, including their structure, function, evolution, and large-scale sequencing and comparison.
"Advances in genomics have transformed research into inherited diseases and cancer."
"The genomics team identified a previously unrecognized mutation associated with the disease."
"Agricultural genomics is helping breeders select crops that are more resistant to drought and disease."
Genomics is normally treated as an uncountable field of study and is not used with a regular plural form.
"The institute conducts research in human genomics."
Genomics turns the complete genetic archive of an organism into a map that can reveal its biology, its history, and its vulnerabilities.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
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How genomics is actually used
Genomics is a formal scientific term and is usually used as an uncountable noun. It is especially common in medicine, agriculture, ecology, biotechnology, and evolutionary biology.
Easily confused with genomics
Genetics studies inheritance and the transmission and expression of genes, whereas genomics focuses on the analysis of entire genomes and the data derived from them.