ABSTRACT
The term transcriptome refers to all of the RNA transcripts that are present within the cell. In some instances, transcriptome may be used to refer to just the mRNAs within the cell, representing the genes that are being transcribed and thus likely to be expressed as proteins. Transcriptome can also include other RNAs within the bacterial cell, such as the ncRNAs that influence the expression of genes. Also transcribed in the cell, and can therefore be encompassed in the term transcriptome, are the rRNAs and the tRNAs; however, the transcription of these tends to be more constitutive, while the transcription of mRNAs and ncRNAs can vary depending on the conditions impacting the cell. Regardless of the breadth of RNA types included, it is the variations in the amounts of the different distinct transcripts within the cell that is the focus of transcriptomics.
