Based on NHGRI fact sheet https://www.genome.gov/about-genomics/fact-sheets/Genetics-vs-Genomics
Both genetics and genomics directly impact our health and well-being. Genetics refers to the study of genes and the way that certain traits or conditions are passed down from parents to children. Genomics, on the other hand, describes the study of all of a person’s genes (the genome).
What are genetics and genomics?
Genetics involves scientific studies of genes and their effects. Genes carry the instructions for making proteins, which direct the activities of cells and functions of the body. For example, genes determine characteristics like our hair color or texture or the shape of our ears. Genetics can also play a role in passing down diseases from parents to children. Some examples of genetic or inherited disorders include cystic fibrosis, Huntington’s disease, and sickle cell disease. Unlike genetic disorders that are inherited from parents, some diseases are caused by changes, or mutations, in a gene or group of genes that can happen during a person’s life. Such mutations are not inherited from a parent but instead occur either randomly or because of some kind of environmental factor, like cigarette smoke.
Genomics is a much more recent field of science than genetics. Genomics got its “official” start in 1953 when James Watson and Francis Crick published their paper on the discovery of the DNA double helix. Genomics describes the study of all of a person’s genes (the genome), including interactions of those genes with each other and with the person’s environment. The term “genomics” was created in 1987.
The field of genomics includes the scientific study of complex diseases such as heart disease, asthma, diabetes, and cancer, because these diseases are typically caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors rather than by individual genes. KP Research Bank scientists and scientists around the world are studying genomics to better understand how various diseases develop and impact individuals, and how to develop better ways to diagnose and treat these diseases.
Why are genetics and genomics important to my health?
Genetics and genomics both play roles in health and disease. Genetics helps individuals and families learn about how conditions such as sickle cell anemia and cystic fibrosis are inherited in families, what screening and testing options are available, and, for some genetic conditions, what treatments are available. (See: Frequently Asked Questions About Genetic Disorders)
Genomics helps researchers discover why some people get sick from certain infections, environmental factors, and behaviors, while others do not. For example, there are some people who exercise their whole lives, eat a healthy diet, have regular medical checkups, yet they die of a heart attack at age 40. There are also people who smoke, never exercise, eat unhealthy foods, and live to be 100. Genomics may hold the key to understanding these differences.
Apart from accidents — such as falls, motor vehicle accidents, or poisonings — genomic factors play a role in 9 of the 10 leading causes of death in the United States; this includes, for example, heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. All human beings are 99.9 percent identical in their genetic makeup. It’s the differences in the remaining 0.1 percent that hold important clues about the causes of diseases. Gaining a better understanding of the interactions between genes and the environment by way of genomics is helping researchers find better ways to improve health and prevent disease.
