Analysis Of The Article ' Epigenetics And Human Disease '

"Twins have a special claim upon our attention; it is, that their history affords means of distinguishing between the effects of tendencies received at birth, and those that were imposed by the special circumstances of their after lives." says Sir Francis Galton, 19th century behavioral genetics pioneer. Researchers have used twin studies to try to figure out the genetic backgrounds of an abundance of traits, from determination to intelligence to bizarre to alcohol dependence.

The simple writing style and lightness of the somewhat delicate topic makes this book a fantastic read that can be enjoyed by a range of people. Experts in the subject field of biogenetics and curious high school kids can both appreciate this book for what it is; and insightful, fascinating, fresh look at the world of biogenetics and what it can mean for you personally. I say personally because scientists have com to

Epigenetics is the future of science. It has evolved from being a science that very few believed in, to one that will shape medicine as it is known. As the Human Genome Project began, the goal was to determine which genes controlled what phenotypes in a human. After all the genes were identified and mapped, the expression of the genes that the scientists had just discovered was also beginning to be analyzed (EPIGENETICS). Although every gene had been identified and associated with a function, there were genes that if not expressed or not turned on, would create a different scenario. That is, the idea that the genotype of an individual would determine their phenotype was reinforced. Epigenetics however is the study of the switching on or off of the genes responsible for a particular action (Feinberg). For example, all of the organs of a single person have the exact same DNA as the others, yet a lung looks drastically different from a kidney. This is due to the expression of the genes responsible for creating a specific organ. If scientists are able to control the switching on and off of these genes, then many extraordinary possibilities exist.

Burying the dogma of the genomics fixity, epigenetics demonstrates that our lifestyle changes our genes and we pass these mutations on. This discovery opens up new prospects of cure for many diseases. At the level of our genome, there are two kinds of genes: exons which are genes that are expressed and induce the production of certain proteins, and introns which are genes that are eliminated in the transcription of the RNA, and which therefore are not expressed. Environmental conditions could change that by opening introns or closing exons with all possible intermediate situations between these two extremes, from this perspective, epigenetics would correspond to an open or closed switch, to varying degrees. These different positions of switches then open the door to many combinations of genes. This seems to go against a current scientific dogma that considers the genome of a person is inherited from the parents and then remains fixed and determined for his entire life. Moreover, according to the evolutionary theory of Darwin, if mutations occur in a species facing a changing environment, these changes occur only over extremely long periods of time that often number in the thousands or even millions years. Epigenetics shows that on the contrary, these changes are a natural way and very common in nature. With Epigenetics: we can change our

Thesis: Individuals that have experienced traumatic events or are put into high stress environments are prone to having their epigenetics modified which can be passed down to offspring. The altered genes can induce people to becoming much more vulnerable to depression and anxiety as a result. While there isn't a way to “cure” intergenerational trauma there are ways to cope with it.

According to a telegraph article, twin studies tells us that genes play a far more vital role in shaping who we are. Researchers from Edinburgh University studied more than 800 sets of identical and nonidentical twins to learn whether genetics, or environment plays a bigger role. Twins almost always share the same environment as each other, but only identical twins share the same genes. The study comprised a series of questions, asking the participants how they viewed themselves, “Writing in the journal of personality, the researchers found that identical twins were twice as likely as nonidentical twins to share the same personality traits, suggesting that their DNA was having the greatest impact. Professor Timothy Bates, who had led the study had this to

Epigenetics is a field where advances are being made daily. Epigenetics is defined as “heritable changes in gene expression that occur without a change in DNA sequence,” as stated by Dr. Alan Wolffe. A way in which we can understand this definition is by taking the analogy of a card game. The cards, the DNA sequence, have been dealt and will not change, however we need to understand how to play the cards, the rules, which is epigenetics. The guidelines can vary and completely change the way the card game is played and who comes out on top. The rules that are studied and understood through this research paper are those of DNA methylation and chromatin. These changes can produce

What is epigenetics? Epigenetics to me is the alteration to our genome that we are able to change in not only ourselves but in our children and future generations as well all based on lifestyle habits we live today. After first watching the PBS video on epigenetics, I was astonished on how our ways of life have such a profound effect upon not only our genes but our future generations of children as well. In the video research was conducted on over forty identical twins ages ranging from three to seventy-four, this was to compare the lifestyle habits such as smoking, exercise, and different diets have on an individual. I found it fascinating that when there was comparing the genomes of the elderly Spanish twins compared to the three-year-olds; we were able to see how much of a difference the Spanish twins genome

For years, scientists believed DNA, deoxyribonucleic acid, was the end-all-be-all: a mould for our cells to be created from. Which does not sound far-fetched since DNA contains all of the information needed for replication, differentiation, growth, and development, in addition to the countless cellular fates, as described in Waddington’s landscape. Instead, DNA is a guide for our cells, and Epigenetics is the tool that coerces them into their final cellular form. The Epigenetics Revolution: How Modern Biology Is Rewriting Our Understanding of Genetics, Disease, and Inheritance written by Nessa Carey, outlines the process of DNA versus Epigenetics, and the developments they have had within the scientific field. This paper will examine the fundamental distinction constructed by Nessa Carey between DNA as a script versus a template. This analogy of DNA as a script.

I can say that epigenetics could be defined as of someway of turning on and off certain genes into our body. As I was watching the video, I was impressed on how epigenetics could be something that can destroy the society. I must admit that I did not have any knowledge about epigenetics before. When I was watching the video, I was enlightened how far we have come in research of the human body. Most of the patients that were in the research whom had cancer to begin with are now in remission. This is a great accomplishment. It puts in perspective the fact that choices that we make now do not just affect us, but it affects our future sons, daughters, and grandchildren.

The video from PBS explains epigenetics through identical twins. These twin’s embryos have the same genome and epigenome where cells develop into skin, bone and tissue. Their

However, the similarities between fraternal twins is lower compared to identical twins. The reason for this is because a single gene is not the full determinant of one’s traits, but it is a combination of multiple genes that influences characteristics (Segal, 2012). Human beings have a total of twenty-three chromosomes that contain thousands of genetic material each. Genes are the functional units that are transmitted from parents to their offspring. They have the double function of transmission of heritable information and diversification of traits across generations and among individuals (Caprara & Cervone, 2000). Despite having very similar personalities, identical twins also have some well defined personalities that can equip someone in telling them apart. The contrast of personalities in identical twins shows that our genes are not solely responsible for our

Having this ability allows for very unique studies. A major study area is identical twins, twins allow for a unique perspective on the genome. Identical twins develop from the same fertilized egg which means they have the same genome; however, when the chromosomes are observed at a young age there are very little differences in the epigenetic tags, but when looked at much later in life there is numerous differences (“Insights From Identical Twins” 2016). This illustrates the vast differences that occur not from genetics, but rather the environment. Both fraternal and identical twins are very important in the understanding of genetics that relate to diseases and complex behaviors. While it is very interesting that the majority of epigenetic tags change it is also very helpful. Science now knows most tags change, not all tags change. Since the majority of tags stay the same that means that scientists can then isolate the few remaining genes and map them and they can find out what these genes do. If one twin experiences a disease or behavior the it is a better plan to look at differences in the environment rather than the genome; however, if both twins experience the behavior or disease it is a far superior plan to focus on the genome rather than differences in their environment(“Insights From

In my opinion, twin studies better support the interaction of genetics and environment. Heredity, to me, is like the musical blueprint of a song, while experiences such as love, heartbreak, fear, etc...provide a solid foundation from which lyrics

When I was little, having an identical twin was so exciting. We wanted to wear the same clothes, watch the same movies and just be identical. As we got older, it seemed less appealing to be exactly like someone else. By the time we were teenagers, I fought to build and maintain a separate identity. Pausing to reflect on my life, I see that it was those small, seemingly insignificant moments that sparked my interest in human development and behavior.