Genome

I am so confused about all the brain “omes,” and hope you can clarify them for me! Good question! First of all, let me begin by naming four of them.

First is your genome. It includes your chromosomes and genes inherited from biological parents—in the old fashioned way or via artificial insemination, for that matter. Your genome is believed responsible for about 30 percent of who you are. Chromosomes are single-coiled strands of deoxyribonucleic acid [DNA], nucleic acids [RNA], and proteins, made of amino acids. A 1962 Nobel Prize was awarded for the discovery of the elegant molecular structure of DNA, known as the double helix. Estimates are that 99 percent of your DNA is located in your chromosomes. The remaining one percent is found in the mitochondria, tiny energy factories inside cells that have a clearly defined nucleus. The mitochondria create adenosine triphosphate [ATP], the energy source needed to power almost all cellular activity. Genes are tiny bits of DNA that contain “blueprints” (architectural plans) for creating three-dimensional building blocks from proteins. About 25,000 genes, contained in your chromosomes, determine your inherited traits such as body build and height, male or female, the color of your hair, eyes, and skin, the potential talents that you can hone, and so on. Many factors, however, influence how blueprints are “read” and interpreted and implemented.