Genetics and genomics are very closely related fields in biology, yet there are many differences between each other. For an average person, these two fields are much similar and an exact difference between genetics and genomics figure 1 shown below may not be pulled out from him or her.

Figure 1: Genetic vs Genomics

The structural genomics deals with DNA sequencing, sequence assembly, sequence organisation and [1] management. Basically, it is the starting stage of genome analysis i.e. construction of genetic, physical or sequence maps figure 1 shown below of high resolution of the organism.

Therefore, it would [1] be important to follow some basic information about these fields to understand better. An overview about genetics would, however, suggest that genomics as one of its branches, but there is a vast context in genomics. This article attempts to summarize the most important and interesting differences between genetics and genomics, in addition to the provided information about those.

Genetics is a study of genes, a unit of inheritance and its effect on one’s health whereas the genomics is a study of all the genes and its interaction with the environment.

Genomics is a discipline that studies the genomes of organisms. In other words, the nucleotide sequences of DNA or RNA strands are studied in genomics. Usually, this discipline attempts to determine [2] the entire nucleotide sequence in nucleic acids of organisms. In addition, the relationships and interactions within the genome are studied in genomics. Mainly this discipline deals with the studies of bacteriophage, cyanobacteria, humans, environmental samples, and pharmacological applications.

Most people have heard of genetics in relation to healthcare. Genetics is the study of genes and their roles in inheritance – in other words, the way that certain traits or conditions are passed [3] down in the genes from one generation to the next. In healthcare, genetics has typically focused on variations in a single gene when determining the cause of a health condition.

Genomics is an all-encompassing term that takes into account all the DNA in a person's or organism's genome – both the genes that code for proteins and the non-coding regions. It looks at how genes are expressed and the interplay between different genes.

One of the most exciting developments in genomics has been the development of next-generation sequencing technology. This technology allow us to ‘read’ a person’s or organism's whole genome in just a couple of days, which can be useful in some instances. The emergence of this technology is very much associated with the term genomics.

References:

1. https://www.differencebetween.com/difference-between-genetics-and-vs-genomics/#:~:text=Difference%20Between%20Genetics%20and%20Genomics%201%20Genetics%20is, 100%20years%20older%20than%20the%20field%20of%20genomics.
2. https://geneticeducation.co.in/difference-between-genetics-vs-genomics/
3. https://www.genomicseducation.hee.nhs.uk/education/core-concepts/what-is-genomics/

Cite this article:

Nandhinidwaraka. S (2021) The Technology of Genomics, AnaTechmaz, pp 4