exome

noun

ex·​ome ˈek-ˌsōm 

: the part of the genome consisting of exons that code information for protein synthesis

The Personal Genome Project is beginning with the exome: the 1 percent of our genome that is translated into strings of amino acids that assemble themselves into proteins.

—Steven Pinker

The exome is the portion of the genome known to encode proteins … . Whole-exome sequencing has the advantage of reduced cost and analysis of a much smaller data set than that obtained by sequencing the entire genome.

—Howard J. Jacob

Examples of exome in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Ancestry has been working with Quest Diagnostics to build out a new lab to handle the sequencing, and the plan is to start returning full exome data—the sequences that code for proteins—to customers next year. —Megan Molteni, WIRED, 15 Oct. 2019

The center’s Tapestry DNA Sequencing Research Study, a groundbreaking endeavor aimed to complete exome sequencing of 100,000 Mayo Clinic patients, seeks to answer how including patients’ DNA results in their digital health records can improve the quality of their care. —Nbc Universal, NBC News, 7 July 2023

There are many genetic test types, including single gene testing, panel tests, whole exome/genome sequencing, chromosomal tests, gene expression, and biochemical tests. —Rajeev Ronanki, Forbes, 13 Feb. 2024

First, scientists analyze the patient’s tumor, comparing its exome with the whole exome sequencing of the patient’s blood to identify the tumor’s protein-coding alterations. —Michele Cohen Marill, Wired, 26 Feb. 2021

Word History

Etymology

ex(on) + (gen)ome

First Known Use

2008, in the meaning defined above