 A final telling point is that it has recently become clear that there are functions of the genome, as material object, that go well beyond even the broadest interpretation of the genetic (Bustin &amp; Misteli 2016). It appears that the genome plays an essential role in a range of cellular processes. First, its physical arrangement into domains of varying sizes plays a central role in the coordination of gene expression. But much further from the genetic, it is a large object the mechanical forces of which are involved in various cellular processes and cellular homeostasis, and the chromatin fiber provides a scaffolding for both proteins and membranes (Bustin &amp; Misteli 2016). Unless we are to introduce a new word to refer to this biologically vital entity, only a material conception of the genome can capture the full range of its activities.