比较基因组学（Comparative genomics）是基于基因组图谱和测序技术基础上,对已知的基因和基因组结构进行比较以了解基因的功能、表达机制和物种亲缘关系的学科。

通过对不同亲缘关系物种的基因组串行进行比较，能够鉴定出编码串行、非编码调控串行及给定物种独有的串行。而基因组范围之内的串行比对，可以了解不同物在核苷酸组成、同线性关系和基因顺序方面的异同，进而得到基因分析预测与定位、生物系统发生进化关系等方面的信息。

比较基因组学的基础是相关生物基因组的相似性。两种具有较近共同祖先的生物，它们之间具有种属差别的基因组是由祖先基因组进化而来，两种生物在进化的阶段上越接近，它们的基因组相关性就越高。如果生物之间存在很近的亲缘关系，那幺它们的基因组就会表现出同线性(synteny)，即基因串行的部分或全部保守。这样就可以利用模基因组之间编码顺序上和结构上的同源性，通过已知基因组的作图信息定位另外基因组中的基因，从而揭示基因潜在的功能、阐明物种进化关系及基因组的内在结构。

Comparative genomics is a field of biological research in which the genomic features of different organisms are compared. The genomic features may include the DNA sequence, genes, gene order, regulatory sequences, and other genomic structural landmarks. In this branch of genomics, whole or large parts of genomes resulting from genome projects are compared to study basic biological similarities and differences as well as evolutionary relationships between organisms. The major principle of comparative genomics is that common features of two organisms will often be encoded within the DNA that is evolutionarily conserved between them. Therefore, comparative genomic approaches start with making some form of alignment of genome sequences and looking for orthologous sequences (sequences that share a common ancestry) in the aligned genomes and checking to what extent those sequences are conserved. Based on these, genome and molecular evolution are inferred and this may in turn be put in the context of, for example, phenotypic evolution or population genetics.