Today, we know that a genome is essentially our DNA, a bundle of genetic information containing our normal 23 chromosome pairs. Our founding fathers, however, had a few other theories concerning our genetic makeup. After the development of microscopes in the 17th century, scientists postulated that miniature replicas of human beings were located inside sperm heads. However, they were sort of on the right track, French biologist Jean-Baptiste Lamarck raised the idea of an inheritance of acquired characteristics which determined what made individual humans, well, individuals. Not long after, Darwin as well as Gregor Mendel both began formulating their ideas on inheritance and genetics.
It’s safe to say that the mid-20th century marked the basic building blocks of what we understand of genomes, known as genomics— the study of DNA structure and function. Using various components from molecular biology to biochemistry, while incorporating advanced technology, computer science, and mathematics, we are able to comprehend what makes up our structure and come up with new disease diagnoses and treatments.