Which term refers to the complete genetic material of an organism?

Which term refers to the complete genetic material of an organism?

• A. Nucleic acid sequence
• B. Chromosome
• C. Genome
• D. Nucleoid

Answer: (C)

The complete genetic material of an organism is its genome. A genome encompasses all the genetic material present in a cell or organism, including nuclear DNA and any organellar DNA (like mitochondria or chloroplasts in plants), plus all genes and the noncoding sequences. In contrast, a chromosome is one discrete unit of DNA that carries many genes, and an organism can have multiple chromosomes. The nucleoid is just the region in prokaryotic cells where DNA is located, not the entire genetic content. Nucleic acid sequence refers to the order of nucleotides in a DNA or RNA molecule, not the whole genome. So the term that best fits “complete genetic material” is genome.

The complete genetic material of an organism is its genome. A genome encompasses all the genetic material present in a cell or organism, including nuclear DNA and any organellar DNA (like mitochondria or chloroplasts in plants), plus all genes and the noncoding sequences. In contrast, a chromosome is one discrete unit of DNA that carries many genes, and an organism can have multiple chromosomes. The nucleoid is just the region in prokaryotic cells where DNA is located, not the entire genetic content. Nucleic acid sequence refers to the order of nucleotides in a DNA or RNA molecule, not the whole genome. So the term that best fits “complete genetic material” is genome.