Genomics is the study of genes and genetic information. It’s a field that has been around for decades, but in recent years, it has become one of the fastest growing industries in healthcare.
Genomics is the study of how genes work. It is a branch of biology that studies the genetic composition of organisms and their interactions with one another and their environment.
In a previous post, we explored the advantages of approaching health and wellbeing from a functional medicine viewpoint. The discipline of genetics is an important contributor to the research of functional medicine. What exactly is genomics, and how does it relate to our work at the Brain Health Clinic?
Is there a link between genetics and genomics?
The study of genetics came before the study of genomics. Genetics is the study of genes and how they carry on our inherited characteristics. Following that, genomics examines those genes to see how they interact with one another and with signals received by the body from itself and the environment.
It is possible to say that genetics can tell you which gene causes which bodily trait, characteristic, feature, or disease. Genomics investigates how such genes interact with one another in response to environmental or genetic factors. It’s for this reason that genomics is a relatively new area of research, since scientists didn’t know how particular genes were switched “on” or “off” for decades.
For example, we all have genes that provide us instructions on how to grow. As a consequence, as we go from childhood to maturity, we become taller and wider. What is it that regulates these growth genes? What causes them to create proteins that promote body development and then cease making those proteins, thus stopping growth?
It turns out that for every gene that regulates a bodily feature (a protein-coding gene), at least one other gene is responsible for turning it “on” and “off” (a regulatory non-coding gene). For those of us who are older and remember our high school Biology classes and genetics studies, our instructors taught us that we only required “1% of our DNA, and the rest is junk.” As our understanding of the genomes of all living things grew, it became clear that this “junk DNA” was really essential and significant. Non-coding genes, which were previously believed to have little or no function, were discovered to be the “light switch” for all protein-coding genes. The genes that govern every part of our body needed another gene to put them to function, or stop them from operating, just as a light cannot turn itself on and off without someone “flipping the switch.”
What Impact Does Genomics Have on Us?
The significance of genomic research is explained in this manner by the National Human Genome Research Institute:
“Genomics is assisting researchers in determining why some individuals get ill as a result of particular diseases, environmental conditions, or habits while others do not. Some individuals, for example, exercise their whole lives, eat a nutritious diet, and get regular medical examinations yet nevertheless die of a heart attack at the age of 40. People who smoke, never exercise, and consume bad diets may live to be 100 years old. Understanding these distinctions may be possible thanks to genomics.” – http://www.lumenlearning.com
The Brain Health Clinic uses genetics and functional medicine to use completed research related to brain function and emotional well-being. We can assist you in analyzing your thinking patterns, actions, environmental variables, and nutritional components to see how they may be impacting your health. Our aim is to assist you in achieving optimum health while working in tandem with your medical practitioner.
The essential relationship between the environment and your genetic code, which is the main focus of the subject of epigenetics, will be discussed in another article.
Genomics is the study of how genes work and interact with each other. It can also be referred to as a branch of molecular biology that studies the genome, which is the complete set of DNA within an organism. Reference: emory brain health center psychiatry.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is genomics healthcare?
Genomics healthcare is the use of genomic data to improve health outcomes.
What does genomic medicine do?
Genomic medicine is a branch of medical science that uses genetic information to diagnose and treat diseases.
How has genomics been used to diagnose and treat diseases?
Genomics is a field of biology that studies the structure and function of genomes. It uses biotechnology to make it easier for scientists to identify genes, understand how they work, and find new ways to use them.
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