nucleic acid genetic material A nucleic acid molecule that contains one or more sequences serving as a template for gene expression in a biological system (ie a cell or virion). This class is different from genomic material in that genomic material is necessarily heritable, while genetic material includes genomic material, as well as any additional nucleic acids that participate in gene expression resulting in a cellular or organismal phenotype. So things like transiently transfected expression constructs would qualify as 'genetic material but not 'genomic material'. Things like siRNAs and morpholinos affect gene expression indirectly, (ie are not templates for gene expression), and therefore do not qualify as genetic material. exploratory term