The etymological origin of the term genome that we are dealing with can be found in Latin. Specifically, we can state that it derives from "genus", which can be translated as "lineage", "birth" or even "bloodline".
It should also be noted that this term was created at the beginning of the 20th century. Specifically, this was done in 1920 by the botany professor Hans Winkler (1877 – 1945), who worked as a teacher at the University of Hamburg (Germany). Specifically, he chose to create a word that combined two essential elements in his work and research: gene and chromosome.
The succession of nucleotides that forms the deoxyribonucleic acid ( DNA ) of a species or individual is called the genome . It can therefore be said that the genome is the genetic material .
It should be noted that nucleotides are organic compounds consisting of phosphoric acid, a nitrogenous base and a sugar. In the case of DNA , the sugar in question is deoxyribose and the nucleotide is called deoxyribonucleotide .
The sequence of deoxyribonucleotides present in DNA determines the genome. In the case of diploid organisms , by having homologous pairs of chromosomes, their cells have two copies of the genome . In contrast, haploid organisms have a single copy . Chromosomes , meanwhile, are condensed filaments of DNA found in the nucleus of cells, with a constant number in the cells of each species.
There is always a huge amount of information in the genome of a living being. According to scientists' calculations, a single DNA molecule would have about 20 billion bits . This makes it very difficult to decode and write.
The human genome is made up of the DNA sequence found in 23 pairs of chromosomes . Twenty-two of these pairs, present in the nucleus of diploid cells, are autosomal chromosomes; the remaining pair determines sex (XY for males and XX for females).
Decoding the information in the human genome is very important because this data relates to the organization and functioning of cells in tissues and organs. Knowing the genome, therefore, helps diagnose diseases and predict their course. In 2003, it was announced that the human genome sequence had been completed, but without knowing the function of each gene in detail.
Likewise, we cannot ignore the existence of what is known as the Neanderthal Genome Project. It was announced in 2006 and is carried out by the company 454 Life Sciences and the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig.
The aim of this initiative is none other than to study the Neanderthal genome in depth in order to establish sequences, comparisons and differentiations with that of modern man, among other things.
In Spain, there is also the so-called Fundación Genoma España, whose main mission is to promote the development of biotechnology in the country. To this end, it promotes the creation of consortia that can invest both financially and with human resources in the aforementioned science, launching R&D&I (Research, Development and Innovation) projects.