Genome
all genetic material of an organism
In the fields of molecular biology and genetics, a genome is all the genetic information of an organism. It consists of nucleotide sequences of DNA (or RNA in RNA viruses). The nuclear genome includes protein-coding genes and non-coding genes, other functional regions of the genome such as regulatory sequences (see non-coding DNA), and often a substantial fraction of junk DNA with no evident function. Almost all eukaryotes have mitochondria and a small mitochondrial genome. Algae and plants also contain chloroplasts with a chloroplast genome.
The study of the genome is called genomics. The genomes of many organisms have been sequenced and various regions have been annotated. The first genome to be sequenced was that of the virus φX174 in 1977; the first genome sequence of a prokaryote (Haemophilus influenzae) was published in 1995; the yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) genome was the first eukaryotic genome to be sequenced in 1996. The Human Genome Project was started in October 1990, and the first draft sequences of the human genome were reported in April 2003.
Origin of the term
The term genome was created in 1920 by Hans Winkler, professor of botany at the University of Hamburg, Germany.
“Genome” enters the record as all genetic material of an organism. Crown Archives preserves that source wording while asking what Genome, genetic and material can confirm, complicate or overturn.
Why this record matters
“Genome” is worth following because a concise public description often conceals a longer documentary argument. Here, Genome, genetic and material provides the most credible route into that argument.
Vocabulary and entity names are the principal evidence signals here, because they determine the precision of every later search. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 20, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q7020. The Library of Congress control number is sh85053924. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1977, 1995, 1996 and 1990.
A concise general-reference account can conceal disagreements about scope, terminology or the weight assigned to individual sources. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.
- Subject orientation
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The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Genome”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Genome primary sources, Genome archive and Genome research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
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- What terminology or title could unlock a more precise catalogue search?
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This entry incorporates text from “Genome” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.