What is exome sequencing and what are its advantages/disadvantages over whole genome sequencing?

Exome sequencing is a technique used to identify the DNA sequence of exons, which are the protein-coding regions of the genome. To do this, only the protein-coding regions of DNA are isolated and sequenced, while non-coding regions are excluded. One of the main advantages of exome sequencing is that it is less expensive and less time-consuming than whole genome sequencing. This is because the amount of DNA sequence that needs to be analyzed is much smaller. Additionally, because exome sequencing only targets the protein-coding regions of DNA, it can be more easily interpreted and may have higher accuracy than whole genome sequencing. However, exome sequencing also has some limitations. The technique only targets a subset of the genome and may miss important genetic variations in non-coding regions that could be relevant to disease. Additionally, exome sequencing may miss large structural variations and complex rearrangements in the genome that can be detected by whole genome sequencing. In summary, exome sequencing is a useful technique for studying genetic diseases and identifying disease-causing mutations. It offers advantages in cost and interpretability, but it may miss important genetic variations in non-coding regions and large structural variations.