genome

genome — noun

1. all of the DNA contained in the cells of a living thing, which carries the instr

1.nounB2
Definition

all of the DNA contained in the cells of a living thing, which carries the instructions that control its growth and how its body works

Example

Scientists at the lab mapped the entire genome of the rice plant.

collocation: mapped the entire genome of

The human genome contains roughly 20,000 genes that guide cell functions.

collocation: contains roughly X genes

Common collocations
  • human genome
  • map the genome
  • sequence the genome
  • genome project
  • entire genome
Synonyms
  • genetic blueprint

    An informal, metaphorical expression that means the same thing — the complete set of genetic instructions for an organism.

Grammar Patterns

the ~ of [organism]

[possessive] ~

Usage Note

Often paired with verbs such as 'map', 'sequence', or 'read' to describe the process of identifying the genetic code. The possessive form is common: the human genome, the rice genome.

Common Mistakes

A gene and a genome mean the same thing.
A gene is one unit of heredity, while a genome is the complete set of all genes in an organism.
A gene is a single segment; a genome is the entire collection.

Word family

  • genomic
    adjectiveC1
  • genomics
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

A 'gene' is a single unit of DNA that carries instructions for a specific trait — one gene does not make a genome. 'DNA' is the chemical molecule that stores hereditary information; a genome is made of DNA, but the term refers to the full collection, not the molecule itself. 'Chromosomes' are tightly packed structures of DNA that contain many genes; a genome includes all the chromosomes in an organism's cells. 'Genetic code' is the system of rules by which DNA sequences are translated into proteins — it describes how the genome is read, not the genome itself. So when talking about the complete genetic material of an organism, 'genome' is the precise term: the entire set of an organism's DNA, including all its genes and chromosomes.

geneDNAchromosomegenetic code

Common collocations

Nouns

  • human
  • plant
  • animal
  • organism
  • mouse
  • bacterial

Adverbs

  • fully
  • completely

Phrases

  • entire genome
  • whole genome
  • genome sequence
  • genome mapping
  • genome project

Prepositions

  • of

Etymology

GermanGreekEnglish

The word 'genome' was created in 1920 by the German botanist Hans Winkler. He combined 'gene' (from the German Gen) with the ending '-ome' (taken from 'chromosome'), which comes from the Greek suffix -ωμα meaning 'group' or 'mass'. So 'genome' literally means 'the group of genes' — the complete collection of genetic material in an organism.