The complete set of genetic material of an organism, including both coding and non-coding sequence.

What is the difference between a genome and a gene?

A gene is a segment of DNA coding for a product. The genome is the organism's entire genetic material, much of which is regulatory or non-coding rather than gene sequence.

Genome

noun

/ˈdʒiː.nəʊm/

The complete set of genetic material (DNA or, in some viruses, RNA) present in a cell or organism, containing all the information needed for that organism's development and function.

✍️ Usage in a UPSC answer

As India advances its precision-medicine ambitions, the mapping of the national genome database raises pressing questions of consent, data sovereignty and equitable access that demand a robust regulatory framework.

Synonyms

genetic make-uphereditary blueprintgene complementgenetic codechromosome set

🌱 Word Family

genomic (adj), genomics (n), genome-wide (adj), genomicist (n)

🔡 Root

Coined/Modern: blend of German Gen = gene + Chromosom = chromosome; coined by Hans Winkler (1920)

📜 Etymology

Coined by German botanist Hans Winkler in 1920, as a blend of German Gen ("gene") and Chromosom ("chromosome").

🧠 Memory Hook

GENE + chromosOME = GENOME: the entire "home" of all an organism's genes, gathered under one roof.

🎯 How This Word Works in UPSC Writing

The complete set of genetic material of an organism. The distinction worth carrying into GS3 is between the genome, which is the full sequence, and the genes, which are the segments that code for products, since much of a genome is regulatory or non-coding rather than gene sequence. Genome sequencing underpins precision medicine, pathogen tracking during outbreaks, and crop improvement, and naming those three applications shows the breadth an examiner is looking for.

⚖️ Don’t Confuse It With

The genome is the entire genetic material. A gene is a segment coding for a product. The proteome is the full set of proteins expressed, which varies by cell and condition even though the genome does not. Genomics is the study of the genome as a whole, as against genetics, which traditionally studies individual genes and heredity.

🇮🇳 Hindi Meaning

जीनोम (jīnom) or आनुवंशिक संरचना.

❓ Common Questions

What is a genome?: The complete set of genetic material of an organism, including both coding and non-coding sequence.
What is the difference between a genome and a gene?: A gene is a segment of DNA coding for a product. The genome is the organism's entire genetic material, much of which is regulatory or non-coding rather than gene sequence.

📝 Seen in UPSC Question Papers

Prelims 2017 — Genetics

Real UPSC previous-year questions whose text uses “Genome” — proof this word earns its place on your list.

🔬 Science & Technology 📖 Seen in: Biotechnology — GM Crops, CRISPR, Regu...

Relevant across:GS3 · Economy, Environment, S&T & Security

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