Human Epigenetic Consequences

The mapping of human genes has allowed for certain genetic disorders to be identified according to the genes that it is affecting. This has created a map that other individuals' genes can be compared to in order to determine any mistakes or any alterations that may lead to the development of a disease. Any changes in epigenetic

Epigenetics is defined as the science that studies communicable and reversible changes in gene expression not involving changes in the genetic support that is DNA. These changes can occur at the DNA level (cytosine methylation) or DNA binding proteins

“jumping” or moving from one section of the genome to another. These genes that could jump and move into

Epigenetics refers to external modifications to DNA that turn genes on or off. These alterations do not change the DNA sequence, but instead, they affect how cells read genes. One common example of an epigenetic change is DNA methylation. DNA methylation is the addition of a methyl group to part of the DNA molecule which prevents certain genes from being expressed. It should be noted that epigenetics is a fairly new subdivision in genetics and its importance in evolution and heritability is currently being developed and debated (Furrow 2011).

Researchers first thought the genes you receive from your parents are set in stone since they are made of a genetic code set in our DNA sequence;however, they are discovering that there is a second layer of structure that combines with DNA to decide whether or not a gene is active or not, called the epigenome. The epigenome consists of the DNA, histones, a protein DNA is wrapped around, and chemical tags. The epigenome alters the genetic code by directing signals. The signals come from the environment, which are reacted upon by epigenetic tags to turn a gene either on or off without affecting the DNA sequence. Certain things from our environment that send signals to epigenetic tags to change our genes in the epigenome includes the following:

Epigenetics can be defined as a way of turning on and off certain genes in your body, which as evidence has shown, we have a lot more control of than we thought. The video on epigenetics was so great, I did not have a clear idea of what epigenetics was. Watching the video really enlightens how far we have come in research of the human body. I find the advancements that have been made using epigenetics with cancer to be one of the best sections of the thirteen minute video. Just knowing the fact that half of the patients that complied with the research whom had cancer to begin with are now in remission is a great accomplishment. I also found the fact that we have more control over our epigenes, we are to modify our own genes by just following

I also learned that these epigenomes change because of environmental factors which include what we do, what we eat, what we drink, or what we smoke. This has been said to be one of the pivotal contraries amongst epigenetics and genetics. I found the groundbreaking study identical twins very interesting. The point of this experiment was to discover if twins were epigenetically identical or not. After obtaining DNA from 40 sets of twins, researchers were able to conclude that as twins age, the chance of epigenetic differences increases.

Contrasted when you look at the three olds epigenome there were still completely the same with much of the yellow coloring shown, this illustrated that over our lifetime epigenome change, enforcing that old saying “you are what you eat” and reminding us all that we have more control than what we thought we did in what goes on in our bodies on a cellular level.

By studying Epigenetics, we learn about the changes in heritable genome function without changes in the DNA sequence itself. Transgenerational inheritance requires a chromosomal or epigenetic change in the germline allowing the information to be passed on from one generation to another (Anway et al 2005a). In order for epigenetic marks to be passed down, the gametes need to conserve their epigenomes by avoiding two reprogramming events; in the gamete and zygote. It has generally been accepted that epigenetic marks are removed and re-established in the preceding generation, thus not inherited. However, studies being carried out on model organisms are challenging this concept and suggesting that this may not be entirely correct. There may be an incomplete erasure of epigenetic marks resulting in transgenerational epigenetic inheritance (Youngson and Whitelaw 2008). The present generations were being synthesised in the womb of their grandmother. Therefore, did the food my grandmother ate affect my development? Could the air we breathe affect our grandchildren? Many questions are still unknown in this field. The environment and external factors may cause additional information to be added on top of the genome resulting in phenotypic variation and disease leading to transgenerational epigenetic inheritance. Epigenetic modifications of the germline are not only important to evolutionary biologists and disease aetiology but also ecologists, as incomplete epigenetic changes can

How is it that two identical twins with the exact same DNA and the same environment can be very different? (Coutney Griffin 2012) Cortney Griffin elaborated on how her journey of having twins lead her to a deeper understanding of what epigenetics truly is. This talk, although vastly viewed in biochemistry classes including at the University of Texas of El Paso, differs from the scholarly article “Epigenetics and human disease: translating basic biology into clinical applications” by David Rodenhiser and Mellissa Mann. Their most prominent similarities and differences can be separated into audience and purpose, rhetorical appeals, and structure and delivery.

There are two articles that I found, which gave a lot of informations about epigenetic and explained how the process of epigenetic works and how weird it can be. The process of epigenetic works by chemical tags, which is known as epigenetic marks that are tied to the deoxyribonucleic acid and which permit to either use or ignore specific gene. The most important epigenetic mark is a methyl group and it was said that in the midst of each generation there is a cell called primordial gene cell, where the epigenetic marks are removed from. The deoxyribonucleic acid methylation is also removed in primordial gene cell, which are changed to hydroxymethylation and it also restarts the gene of each generation.

Epigenetic changes can be defined as functional, heritable changes in DNA, that do not involve a change in the nucleotide sequence[1]. Transcriptional regulation can be controlled through epigenetic modification and thereby can affect gene expression (44). Epigenetic modifications are important regulators of numerous biological processes like spermatogenesis. Nowadays there is a lot of attention to epigenetic changes as a role in identifying genetic causes of male infertility. In fact epigenetic regulations play an important role in proper spermatogenesis and fertility preservation (45).

Epigenetics represents a complex layer onside DNA sequence reflecting the environmental factors. It studies the changes in organisms lead to gene expression level change but the genetic code stay the same. Epigenetics factors play an important role in regulating gene expression. There are two main components of the epigenetic code, DNA methylation and histone modification. Epigenetics changes are common in different areas, across different species. For human, epigenetics is extremely important on complex disease or disorder studies.

Since Gregor Mendel’s discovery of alleles and genetic inheritance, there has been research shows that there are more mechanisms of inheriting traits which do not include changing the nucleotide sequence of DNA. This form of non-genetic inheritance is called epigenetic modification. One example of epigenetic modification is DNA methylation. DNA methylation is when methyl groups, which are chemical groups that contain one carbon bound to three hydrogen atoms,

Phenotypes depend on the genes that code for them, but the expression of genes can depend on multiple factors including the environment. Epigenetics is a field in science that focuses on how the environmental plays a role in in the development of certain phenotypes by affecting gene expression. Epigenetics influences all species and works through DNA methylation and can be influenced by multiple external factor such as growth hormones.