Genomic Terms
1. genome
Genome is a whole sequence of gene of organism.
2. genomic
Genomic start with question, “How genome define organism?”. Which means, Genomic is a study of relationship between genome and various trait of organism. Finding relationship between each traits and genome make one field of genomics. For example, if we are curious about how different and similar two organisms are in view of genome, we call it ‘comparative genomics’. We can also study about genetic disease with genome.
All biological subjects can be involved to genomics. It’s because all biological subject is curious about all living organism and these all living organism have genome.
3. gene
Gene is a unit of sequence that has basic information and genome. Gene is a smallest unit that regulate how RNA and protein (Central dogma) will be expressed. This kind of regulated protein have their own functions.
4. genotype
Genotype is assembling of individual’s gene. Thus, genotype will be differed by individual. We also call whole gene sequence of organism ‘genome’. But as genotype is focused on individual, we usually say genotype. So we usually use genotype while we want to compare individual’s gene.
5. phenotype
Phenotype is observable statement of individual. It basically revealed by individual’s genotype. According to central dogma, DNA determine RNA determine protein. Protein roles their functions. If functions become observable and revealed, we call it phenotype. Thus, phenotype always followed from genotype but not always reveal whole information of genotype.
6. proteomic
Proteomic is study of proteome. As an analogy of genomics, we can think that proteome is a whole information of protein which metabolite and exist in organism. Proteomic, like genomic in genome, is a study to understanding the role of proteome in organism. As genomic define their research range from gene to upper level, proteomic is a part of genomic.
7. mutation
Mutation is error of gene sequence. There are several type of mutations and each mutations make lethal error of function or just a decreased rate of function or silenced. Some silenced mutations can be remained stable in gene, we often use this kind of mutation to track history of life.
8. SNP
SNP is abbreviation of single-nucleotide polymorphism. SNP is a kind of mutation when only one nucleotide is variated on gene. For example, if present sequence is ATTCCA and it variated to ATACCA, we call it SNP. SNP usually remained on gene and as I mentioned on 7.mutation part, these kind of mutations can be used for identifying history of life.
9. haplotype
Haplotype is a genotype of haploid chromosome. In organism, most chromosome have it’s pair and we call this chromosomes diploid. Diploid chromosome undergo segregation and recombination. Beside, haploid chromosome have no pair chromosome like Y chromosome in humans. Thus, SNP in haploid chromosome don’t undergo recombination. Which means, SNP in haploid chromosome is highly conserved. As SNP on haploid chromosome is highly conserved, it gives us a highly reliable information of their evolutionary path. Thus haplotype is an important clue to discover history of life.
10. species
As like gene, there are always basic unit of studying subject. In biological classification, species is a basic unit. It’s the smallest group of organism we can define them as one boundary. There are several traits that species have but there are not exact definition of species. We often use genomic to measure genetic distance between individual and this analysis help us to define species.
11. sequencing
Sequencing, especially DNA sequencing is to identify the sequence of DNA in unit of nucleotide. Similarly, we can sequence protein in unit of amino acid. Genomic starts from sequencing DNA. It’s because genomic is study of relation between DNA sequence and other features. So sequencing DNA is like preparing ingredient before cooking.
12. taxonomy
In 10.species part, I mentioned ‘biological classification’. This scientific activity called biological classification is taxonomy. Taxonomy is to define and make a group of organism through seeking their common features and differences. In traditional way, we used phenotype to seek their traits. But in recent days, genomic give us more detail information of organism to study taxonomy.
13. comparative genomic
Comparative genomics is a part of genomic that focus to compare genome between species. Through comparing genome between species, we can get insight of relationship between species. We can fine which site of genome sequence is most variable, and which are more conservative. Using those information, it also helps taxonomy.
14. evolution
Evolution is variation of species. As generation of species go on and on, species commit evolutional pressure. Which means, through environmental factor, they commit to selectively survived. Through this kind of selection, genome of species varies and differs and this kind of genetic dynamic through generation calls evolution. Evolution often change one species or divide one species to two or more species. Recent biology expects that all of species present in ecosystem started from one organism. As this organism commit evolution, various species occur.
15. metagenomic
Metagenomic is a method of studying microbial organisms. Usually genomic starts with sequencing one individual's genome, and use their genome sequence to another features. Beside metagenomic collect various genome from specific environmental region. So metagenomic study about characteristic of microbial community rather than individual organism. Traditionally, mirobiology have limitation that only culturable microorganism can be studied. In metagenomic, this limitation can be overcomed.
