Our -Omics

Abstract Virtually all human characteristics can be grouped and described as an -ome. Examples are the microorganism composition of various organs, their microbiomes; all of the nucleotide sequences comprising the DNA of a cell, its genome; and the biologic processes that regulate expression of genes, the epigenome. Some -omes can be modified, such as the gut microbiome. This can have important consequences for health because of the extensive neurologic connections between the intestine and other organs, especially the brain. Each -ome can be studied and analyzed individually and then integrated with one or more other -omes to generate a more comprehensive representation of what is normal or abnormal. Not all -omics are purely biologic. Personomics incorporates individual characteristics such as gender, socioeconomic status, origin, and personality.