GENOMICS: REVOLUTIONIZING MEDICINE

The Human Genome Project defines a genome as all the genetic material in the chromosomes of a particular organism; its size is generally given as its total number of base pairs. Alternative definitions, however, may also include other sources of genetic material that can be found in many cells, such as mitochondrial or plasmid DNA.

Human chromosomes, that have been "painted". A new technique, called "chromosome painting" shows some visual distinctions that would not otherwise be seen. Chromosome painting entails the attachment to human chromosomes of different DNA probes carrying fluorescent markers.

What distinguishes genomics from previous approaches is its focus on a total rather than a piecemeal approach to analyzing the genetic material of the chromosomes. Genomics consequently has produced a deluge of sequence data in which the precise structure of genes has forged ahead of an understanding of individual gene function. Computers have proven essential for storing, cataloging, and analyzing this flood of biological data.