Genomics Flashcards

What is Genomics?

Genomics is the branch of molecular biology concerned with the structure, function, evolution, and mapping of genomes.

Studying genomics encompasses the core subjects of evolutionary biology, genetics, cellular biology and incorporates topics such as heredity, mutation, and Mendelian inheritance.

Genomics differs from Genetics in that Genetics refers to the study of individual genes and their roles in inheritance whereas genomics refers to the study of the genome. A genome is an organism’s entire set of DNA, including all of its genes.

Genomics goes further than genetics in that it aims to collate and classify genes, their production of enzymes and messengers as well as involving sequencing and analysis.

The Development of Genomics and The Human Genome

Genomics is a relatively new area of study whilst the genome dates back to Hans Winkler and 1926, the term Genomics was not coined until 1986 by Tom Roderick at Jackson Laboratory, Maine.

Genomics made strides in the latter part of the twentieth century, as joint efforts at separate facilities in DNA sequencing, led to Frederick Sanger and Harvard's’ Walter Gilbert sharing the 1980 Nobel Prize in chemistry.

Many years later, the Human Genome project completed in 2003 and sequenced the entire genome of one specific person. The project was not, however, declared complete until 2007, when it was considered to be error-free (or less than one error in 20,000). It is considered that the development in our understanding of the human genome will have far-reaching political and social repercussions.

Careers in Genomics

Both the development of The Human Genome Project and the decreases in cost in sequencing have triggered a revolution in discovery-based research. Consequently, this has led to a rapid demand for graduates in this area.

Not only are positions available, and research funded, but what could be a more fulfilling career than being at the forefront of groundbreaking research that could potentially save the lives of millions if not billions of people?

A degree in Genomics is a specialized degree that leads most graduates to further postgraduate studies. Job roles for genomics graduates include:

Biostatistician

Postdoctoral Researcher

Research Scientist

Chief Scientific Officer

Professor in Genetics/Genomics

Geneticist

Genomicist

Immunologist

Roles tend to be in research and might be in hospitals, universities, industry-driven research facilities or privately-funded academics foundations.

Research is making breakthroughs in many areas of medicine, perhaps one of the last bastions of human knowledge that evades usa cure for cancer. Genomics graduates are highly sought in the best international research facilities in continuing attempts to fight this cruellest of current day killers.

You can read this overview of Genomics by the National Human Genome Research Institute for more information. Or why not check out this TED talk by Richard Resnick where he welcomes you to the genomic revolution! You can also find out more about a career in Genomics by checking out The American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics in addition to The American Society of Human Genetics.

Learning Genomics

Dependent on your Genomics degree you’ll also be studying areas of cellular biology, biochemistry, biotechnology, and microbiology.

Graduates in Genomics need to memorize a vast amount of scientific terminology as well as specializing in statistical research methods and the analysis of data.

Brainscape provides scientific students with the perfect auxiliary tool with which to establish fundamental knowledge and develop analytical skills.

Genomics in Brainscape

There are lots of pages in Brainscape that Genomics majors could find themselves using, from gene technology, and bioinformatics, to molecular genetics and molecular biology.

If you’ve set your heart on studying Genomics at college then make sure you get the scores you need by using the AP Biology study guide in Brainscape. Created in partnership with Next Step Test Preparation the study guide covers the complete college board test and includes 740 note cards.

When you use Brainscape you can also choose to create your own learning catalog of flashcards for your own personal use, free. With Brainscape you can track your learning, study with friends and free up your spare time.

Learn faster with Brainscape

Introducing Brainscape’s revolutionary education tool Confidence-Based Repetition or (CBR): CBR is the only computer-aided learning tool on the market that incorporates three key learning methods, Active Recall, Metacognition and Spaced Repetition. The results are outstanding, learners learn twice as fast and remember longer.

Like other computer-aided educational tools, Brainscape uses active recall and spaced recognition. Active recall is the process of retrieving information, during the process the neurons are utilized and the memory trace is strengthened. This process is separate and far more valuable in terms of learning than merely recognizing the correct answer on the page.

The spaced repetition method, popular with learning tools is also a valuable method of repeating tiny pieces of information at precise intervals to optimize the amount of information a learner can retain.  

But here’s how Brainscape is different: Unlike other tools, Brainscape uniquely incorporates the process of metacognition, which fuels the algorithm and perfectly shuffles the deck of flashcards for optimal learning.

After you have reviewed each flashcard in the deck, you are asked to consider your understanding of the content and give a rating from 1-5. It’s this rating that the algorithm uses for each note card to reposition the deck. The result is quite simple, you will rarely revisit the cards you know well and concentrate on improving your understanding in needed areas.

Traditional learning and other computer-aided tools always result in you repeating ground you don’t need to cover, but with Brainscape this never happens.

The Brainscape CBR system is the most powerful learning engine available today so get started today!

How to get started

It’s quick and easy to get started with Brainscape. Whether you are choosing premium content such as AP Biology or the flashcards created by others in the Brainscape market, you can always at least sample a significant number of cards for free!

There are thousands of flashcards prepared by professors and top students and the content is extensive. Browse the decks and choose from a range of topics; cell morphology, DNA replication, sequence statistics, molecular phylogenetics, stem cells, or cancer.

You’ll see that the decks are labeled, so choosing the right syllabus and level is easy. If you prefer to make your own flashcards and you’d like to spend time creating your own personal library of flashcards, then just click “make flashcards” at the top of the page to get started now.

We wish you all the best in your Genomics studies and career and happy learning from the Brainscape team!