Question

what is an exome ? why can exome sequencing be more informative than genome sequencing for investigating the genetic basis of trait?

Answer 1

Ans: Exome  is the part of the genome composed of exons, the sequences which, when transcribed, remain within the mature RNA after introns are removed by RNA splicing and contribute to the final protein product encoded by that gene. We can say that exome is the collection of coding region of the genome, as we know that eukaryotic genome is composed of both coding region called as exons and non-coding region called introns and major part is covered by introns and their functions are in the regulation of gene expression but not in the formation of protein. Protein formation is soley depends on the sequence of exons.

As i told earlier that exome is the part of whole genome and that's why exome sequencing and analysis typically takes less time than whole genome sequencing at less than half the cost because in exome sequencing we are only taking exons under consideration and not introns. And we also know that the trait is governed by the protein produced by a specific gene and this protein is totally dependent on the sequence of exons.

So this is why exome sequencing be more informative than genome sequencing because it is less time consuming and performed at a half cost. Also in exome sequencing we are taking exons into consideration which are the factor defining the sequence of the protein governing the specific trait.