1.5

• Genome

  An organism's complete set of DNA, including all of its genes
• Each genome contains all of the information needed to build and maintain that organism
• The human genome consists of around three billion nucleotides but only a small component of this actually codes for proteins
• These coding sequences make up less than two per cent of the genome
• The rest of the genome is made up of non-coding sequences
• Some non-coding sequences are involved in regulating the transcription of proteins, some are transcribed to RNA but are never translated into protein, for example tRNA, rRNA and other RNA fragments
• Many non-coding sequences have no known function
• Genome


  The entire hereditary information encoded in DNA
• A genome is made up of genes and other DNA sequences that do not code for proteins
• Genomic sequencing

  1. Sequence of nucleotide bases can be determined for individual genes and entire genomes

  2. Computer programs can be used to identify base sequences by looking for sequences similar to known genes

  3. To compare sequence data, computer and statistical analyses (bioinformatics) are required
• Pharmacogenetics

  The use of genome information in the choice of drugs
• Personalised medicine

  An individual's personal genome sequence can be used to select the most effective drugs and dosage to treat their disease