Metagenomics

Definition

Metagenomics is the study of genetic material recovered directly from environmental samples. It allows scientists to analyze the collective genome of microorganisms in a given environment without culturing them in a lab.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Metagenomics involves sequencing DNA from entire communities of organisms, not just single species.
2. It helps identify and understand microbial diversity and ecosystem functions.
3. Metagenomic approaches can be used to discover new genes, enzymes, and metabolic pathways.
4. This field is crucial for studying environments where many organisms cannot be cultured in lab settings.
5. Metagenomics has applications in medicine, agriculture, environmental science, and biotechnology.

Review Questions

• What does metagenomics study?
• Why is metagenomics important for understanding microbial diversity?
• Name two applications of metagenomics.

Related terms

Microbiome: The community of microorganisms living together in a particular habitat.

Sequencing: Determining the precise order of nucleotides within a DNA molecule.

Bioinformatics: The application of computational tools to process biological data such as genome sequences.