What is the Difference Between cDNA and Genomic Library?
🆚 Go to Comparative Table 🆚The main difference between cDNA and genomic libraries lies in the type of DNA fragments they contain and their representation of genes. Here are the key differences between cDNA and genomic libraries:
- cDNA Library:
- Contains complementary DNA (cDNA) clones synthesized from total mRNA of an organism.
- Represents genes that are actively expressed in a specific cell or tissue at a given point in time.
- Does not contain introns, as they are removed during the transcription process.
- Smaller in size compared to genomic libraries.
- Genomic Library:
- Consists of clones containing the entire genomic DNA of an organism, including noncoding (introns and regulatory) DNA.
- Represents all genes in the genome.
- Contains sequences for both introns and exons.
- Larger in size compared to cDNA libraries.
In summary, cDNA libraries are made up of cloned, reverse-transcribed mRNA and represent only the genes that are actively expressed, while genomic libraries contain the entire genomic DNA of an organism, including noncoding regions and all genes.
Comparative Table: cDNA vs Genomic Library
Here is a table that highlights the differences between cDNA and Genomic DNA libraries:
Feature | cDNA Library | Genomic DNA Library |
---|---|---|
Composition | Complementary DNA (cDNA) to mRNA | Complete genomic DNA of an entity |
Size | Smaller compared to genomic DNA library | Vast in comparison to cDNA library |
Represents | Genes expressed in a particular cell at a given period of time | All genes, including introns and exons |
Clone Content | Sequences seen on mRNA only, not the complete gene | Contains sequences for introns and exons, complete gene |
Enzyme Used | Reverse transcriptase | Not applicable |
cDNA libraries are constituted by cloned, reverse-transcribed mRNA and represent only those genes of the genome that are expressed in a particular cell at a given time. On the other hand, genomic DNA libraries consist of large DNA fragments and represent all genes, including introns and exons.
- DNA vs cDNA
- rDNA vs cDNA
- CDS vs cDNA
- Genomic vs Plasmid DNA
- Genetics vs Genomics
- Genomic DNA vs Plasmid DNA Isolation
- Gene vs DNA
- Gene vs Genome
- Gene Amplification vs Gene Cloning
- Gene Cloning vs PCR
- Gene Mapping vs Gene Sequencing
- Genetic Engineering vs Cloning
- Genotyping vs Sequencing
- DNA vs mRNA
- Genetic Engineering vs Recombinant DNA Technology
- DNA vs RNA
- PCR vs DNA Sequencing
- Genome vs Gene Pool
- Gene Sequencing vs DNA Fingerprinting