Genomics is the area of biology that investigates how a genome is constituted and functions . The genome , on the other hand, is the series of nucleotides that makes up the deoxyribonucleic acid ( DNA ) of a species or being.
To move forward with the definition of genomics, we must first be clear about several concepts. Let's start with nucleotides , which are organic compounds that are formed with a phosphoric acid, a sugar, and a nitrogenous base.
If the sugar in the nucleotide is deoxyribose, it is a deoxyribonucleotide . When the sugar is ribose, the nucleotide is a ribonucleotide . DNA , in this framework, is a biopolymer that has deoxyribonucleotides as units and that establishes the genetic material of each cell .
The sequence of DNA deoxyribonucleotides is called the genome, which can also be understood as the genetic material of an organism . That is the object of study of genomics.
Characterizing and quantifying genes (DNA sequences that transmit hereditary characteristics) are two of the tasks of genomics. While genetics analyzes individual genes, genomics focuses on DNA sequencing to examine and assemble the structure of an entire genome, as well as its function.
Another difference is that genomics is based on bioinformatics , which consists of applying statistics and computing technologies to the analysis and processing of biological data. Other names by which this discipline is known are biocomputing, computational biology , and biological informatics .
Genomics helps to understand how an organism responds to the action of a drug , for example. It also favors the discovery and optimization of treatments against genetic diseases.
It is important to mention that, to date, few genomes have been sequenced. That is why genomics has a great future ahead, since it is expected to make important contributions to health , agriculture and other areas, such as biotechnology. The information that scientists dedicated to this area can collect is truly invaluable.
To cite a concrete example, thanks to knowing a complete genomic sequence of several mammals, it becomes possible to understand our genome, both its function and its evolution . In the coming decades, this information can be used in the health field to enhance treatments in patients of all ages, from birth. On the other hand, this knowledge is a double-edged sword: since it could show the presence of certain disorders and diseases
We must point out that the field to which genomics belongs is that of molecular biology , a branch of biology that focuses on the processes that take place in living organisms, observing them from a molecular perspective. In more contemporary terms, its goal is to explain the phenomena of living beings based on their macromolecular properties.
As its proper name, Genómica is a Spanish company dedicated to molecular diagnosis. They founded it in 1990 and is located in Madrid. Its objective is to find improvements for genetic identification and molecular diagnosis methods; To do this, they use cutting -edge automatic tools , always taking the quality of their results as a priority .
We should not confuse this term with gnomic , whose writing is very similar, since only one E is missing for them to be identical. It is a poetic genre characterized by bringing together several maxims written in verse to facilitate their memorization. Although people specialized in one of these two fields would not confuse these words, for others their extreme similarity can cause confusion that goes unnoticed.