Why Whole Exome Sequencing is done?

Amidst the world of developing technologies and medicine, the methods that can be used to find bout some diseases have also advanced both in accuracy and rapidness. For example in the case of DNA testing, now we can easily get the results within a short period with great conclusiveness. But DNA can only tell about the disorder caused by a single gene or chromosome. In the case where more than one organ system of an individual is affected due to a disorder, the provider can ask for whole-exome sequencing. But first, we need to know about the term exome.

What is Exome?

Our genetic material or genome is made up of smaller units of exons, this exome is responsible for all the coding regions of the genes. The exome sequences remain within the mature RNA after introns are removed by the phenomenon known as RNA splicing during the process of transcription. The remaining sequences contribute to the making of the final product of protein that is encoded by that particular gene.

What is the situation in which whole-exome sequencing is advised?

A whole-exome sequencing can be advised in various situations like:

• If you are suspected of suffering from a genetic disorder/ condition.
• If there are more than one genes that are causing your symptoms.
• If you had already had a genetic test but the result of the test was normal.
• If you have a medical history that has affected many organ systems of your body.