epigenomics
/ˌɛp.ɪ.dʒəˈnɒm.ɪks/ IELTSAcademic
noun
The study of epigenetic changes across all the genes in a cell or organism. It looks at how genes are turned on or off without changing the DNA sequence.
- Epigenomics helps scientists study gene activity.
- The lab uses epigenomics to understand disease.
- Her research focuses on cancer epigenomics.
Adinary Nuance
Epigenomics is broader than epigenetics. Epigenetics often means the study of one change or one gene effect, while epigenomics looks at the full set of epigenetic changes in a genome. Use epigenomics when you mean a large-scale, genome-wide study.
In other languages
- Vietnamese
- Biểu sinh học hệ gen
- Spanish
- Epigenómica
- Chinese
- 表观基因组学
- Japanese
- エピゲノミクス
- Korean
- 후성유전체학
Etymology
Built from epi- meaning 'on' or 'above', genomics, and the earlier word epigenetics. It became common in modern biology in the late 20th century.
Common phrases
epigenomics researchcancer epigenomicsepigenomics dataepigenomics study
Synonyms
Related words
Frequently asked questions
- What is the difference between epigenomics and epigenetics?
- Epigenetics is the wider idea of gene control without DNA change. Epigenomics studies those changes across the whole genome.
- Is epigenomics a common word?
- It is common in biology, medicine, and research writing. Most general English speakers do not use it every day.
- Is epigenomics used in academic writing?
- Yes, very often. It is a technical word used in science papers, reports, and university courses.
- How do I use epigenomics in a sentence?
- You can say, 'The team studied epigenomics to understand cancer development.'