Genome: A 1930 neologism, this is the second oldest "-ome". It is defined as " A complete haploid set of chromosomes with its associated genes." It's use has increased significantly since the inception of the "Genome Project" in 1984.

Transcriptome:Comprehensive quantitative data on the RNAs of an organism under a variety of conditions (ideally including, non-protein coding RNAs, alternative splicing, etc.)

Proteome: Comprehensive quantitative data on the proteins of an organism under a variety of conditions (ideally including post synthetic modifications and interactions with other molecules). To achieve this, purification each protein (including modified versions and interacting antibodies) will be an important related project.

Metabolome: Comprehensive quantitative data on the metabolites of an organism (and its environment).

Phenome: The phenotype of a comprehensive set of mutants (ideally measuring a comprehensive set environmental and internal states). A play on the word "phenomenon" too.

Physiome: Whole system physiology especially with respect to comprehensive modeling and other -omic data. See also

Physiognome: A variation on Physiognomy. : "Facial features, especially when regarded as revealing character." Examples

Biome: This is the oldest of our "-ome" suffix series. Coined in 1916, It refers to an ecological community of organisms and environments. The ability of genes or alleles to affect the representation of the host organism in a biome is an operational definition for the "function" of the gene (in that context).
[note that the -ome & -omics series goes further back, but not with the same comprehensive flavor: e.g. Sarcome in 1626 -- a bunch of flesh in ones nose. Also Oeconomick in 1592 and Comic(e) in 1387 (ref:OED)]

See also: Omes and -omics glossary , Designer science and the "omic" revolution.
"Ome sweet omics" in "The Scientist"
The Omes Table: Morphome, Interactome, Glycome, Secretome, Translatome, Ribonome, Orfeome, Regulome, Cellome, Operome, Transportome, Functome, Foldome, Unknome.
And, of course, the journal: OMICS

Updated 24-May-2003 by GMC. Back to the Church lab home page.