One possible reason that the proteome is so much larger than the genome is that mRNAs can be spliced in alternative ways thereby increasing the number of products produced from a particular gene.

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Alternative splicing allows for different combinations of exons within the same gene to be spliced together, leading to different mRNA transcripts and ultimately different protein products. This can greatly increase the diversity of the proteome even though it comes from a relatively smaller number of genes (the genome).

One Possible Reason That the Proteome Is So Much Larger