Modern biology seeks to understand how genetic information is translated into structure, function, and ultimately phenotype. While genomics focuses on DNA sequences, it does not fully explain how cells function in real time. For this reason, scientists study downstream molecular layers such as proteins and metabolites. Proteomics examines the complete set of proteins produced by a cell, whereas metabolomics focuses on small molecules that represent the final products of cellular activity. Together, these disciplines provide functional insight into health, disease, and environmental responses.