What is the difference between proteomics and genomics?
Proteomics studies the structure and function of proteins, the principal constituents of the protoplasm of all cells. What is a proteome? The word “proteome” is derived from PROTEins expressed by a genOME, and it refers to all the proteins produced by an organism, much like the genome is the entire set of genes. The human body may contain more than 2 million different proteins, each having different functions. As the main components of the physiological pathways of the cells, proteins serve vital functions in the body such as: • catalyzing various biochemical reactions, e.g. enzymes; • acting as messengers, e.g. neurotransmitters; • acting as control elements that regulate cell reproduction; • influencing growth and development of various tissues, e.g. trophic factors; • transporting oxygen in the blood, e.g. hemoglobin; and • defending the body against disease, e.g. antibodies. Proteins are fairly large molecules made up of strings of amino acids linked like a chain. While there are o
