Badomics words and the power and peril of the ome-meme.docVIP

EisenGigaScience2012,1:6 /content/1/1/6 COMMENTARY OpenAccess Badomicswordsandthepowerandperilof theome-meme JonathanAEisen1,2,3,4,5* Abstract Languagesandcultures,likeorganisms,areconstantlyevolving.Words,likegenes,cancomeandgo–spreading aroundorgoingextinct.HereIdiscussthespreadofonesmallsubsetofwordsthataremeanttoconvey “comprehensiveness”insomeway:the“omes”andotherwordsderivedfrom“genome”or“genomics.”Ifocusona badaspectofthisspreadtheuseofwhatIrefertoas“badomics”words.Idiscusswhytheseshouldbeconsidered badandhowtodistinguishbadomicswordsfromgoodones. Keywords:Genomics,Language,Memes,Omic