Stages Of Epigenetic Change

The biggest controversy in psychology today is whether genetics or one’s environment plays a role in the behavior of the individual. Psychologists have researched and developed different theories to explain the reason for the way humans think and behave. The behavior of individuals is either inherited or learned. In my opinion, I believe that nurture plays a big role in the individual’s behavior. Kendra Cherry states, “Nurture refers to all the environmental variables that impact who we are, including our early childhood experiences, how we were raised, our social relationships, and our surrounding culture” (1). People have become who there are because of the environment they were exposed to in their childhood years. The behavior of people is influenced be the environment that surrounds them and can changed many times through one’s lifetime. People have different personalities a person’s

The reading begins with an introduction to what the study is about. The study is about trying dismiss the notion that solely your surroundings and experiences (nurture) or your genetics (nature) is solely the cause for you becoming the person you are today. It begins by explaining how the psychological world was very behavioristic during the later parts of the 20th century. Meaning, people assumed that their surroundings had a lot more influence on their lives, than the genes that they had. The reading also states that people are less likely to accept that they made a choice based on their genetics because it feels like a lack of

The article was written by Sharon Begley, who is a science writer. It published on December 1, 2008, and it has been illustrated by Harry Campbell for Newsweek. We always think our personality is related to our genes, which is stable or cannot be changed. However, Begley assume we can change our personality as we grow up. It depends on environment and our parents. They both play a great role in shaping our personality.

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

The development and importance of epigenetics has revealed to the world the explanation of many gene expressing mutations also factors that may account for genetic variation. The result of this observation helped many scientists around the world cures as well as new analysis methods to help survivors .The understanding obtained from the discovery of epigenetics has and will continue to inform ways of preventing and manipulating genetic expressions to our advantage throughout these upcoming generations. Throughout this essay response, the following information will cover the focus on how epigenetics can account for genetic variability in organisms, it will also relate to factors

What is Epigenetics? It is the study of heritable changes in gene expression that do not involve changes to the DNA sequence. Epigenetics is the change in phenotype without a change in genotype, which in turn affects how cells read genes. Its change can be influenced by several factors including age, the environment or lifestyle, and disease state. Epigenetic can also have damaging affects that can result in diseases like cancer. The results show that changes will occur to the function and/or regulation of these molecules, without altering their primary sequences. Epigenetics modifications are stable and passed on to future generations and they are dynamic and change in response to environmental stimuli.

The different events and social behaviors that different animals were exposed to in infancy effected their physiology and behavior and those effects were far reaching and long lasting, following them for the rest of their lives. Experiences and environmental factors cause epigenetic changes to genes, but the influence is even further reaching that that. Epigenetic influences even occur in utero, the mother passes on more than her genetic material. The fetus’s epigenetics are influenced by the experiences of the mother during pregnancy, things like the mother’s diet and stress levels can influence her offspring later in life. We are all born into different circumstances and situations. Location and socioeconomic status vary greatly among the human population. The influence that epigenetic factors have on how our genes are expressed can be helpful to aide in how we navigate our own lives in relation to the specific set of circumstances we are born into. The way our genes are influenced by out mother (during pregnancy) can aid us in adapting to the specific “world” we are born

The heredity-environment debate has existed for decades aiming to determine what exactly it is that creates the nature of each individual. Is behavior caused by acquired, genetic and biological traits or is the environment responsible for affecting us to the point of creating our personality. This debate is an ongoing one.

Not only social experiences cause epigenetic changes, but also the lifestyle. Although epigenetic marks are more consistent during adulthood, it follows the human lifespan through the malleability of the lifestyle varieties and environmental impact. Nutritional bioactivity in certain foods can modify gene expression via alteration in DNA with methylation and histone modifications, which have influences on health and wellbeing (“Epigenetics: the link between nature and nurture,” 2013). Studies have revealed that different foods have different impacts on the epigenome and health; for example, diets that are high in fat, and low in low carbohydrates may open up chromatin and improve mental capability via HDAC (histone deacetylase) inhibitors (Epigenetics: Fundamentals, History, and Examples | What is Epigenetics?, n.d.). While other studies have shown that consuming certain

Scientists have known for several decades that cancer may be caused by mutations in the DNA of cells. These mutations may result from exposure to certain substances (e.g. radiation, benzene) or they may occur spontaneously in the process of cell division, especially in the context of aging. Recently, researchers have discovered another level of inherited cellular information separate from the genes themselves. Epigenetics is the study of modifications to genes that change their patterns of expression. Epigenetic processes can silence a gene or even an entire chromosome. They can cause normally silent genes to be expressed, and can change the process of transcription so that the nucleotides are transcribed in a different order. Normally, epigenetic information is stabilized early in development and is maintained as cells divide. However, over time, mutations or epigenetic drift may change the inherited pattern. This type of event often results in disease such as cancer (Jones & Baylin 2002).

Our genes and environment influence one another, our genetic potential (both good and bad) can be stimulated by our environment. For example, diabetes runs in my mother’s family tree; which means my siblings and I run the genetic risk of developing diabetes in the future. Our individual environment will play key role in determining whether we develop diabetes (stress, nutrition, physical activity, etc.). This concept is known as gene environmental correlation and it is alarming to psychologists because of the impacts it can have to our behavior; mental and psychotic disorders such as depression and schizophrenia can be triggered by a stressful environment.

Epigenetics is what silences genes that are not necessary in a certain cell and it explains how genes are influenced by peoples experiences, environments and other life factors. Starting from the embryo cells will divide and some are activated and some are inhibited. This is what epigenetics is for, it allows certain genes to be active or inactive. The presence and concentration makes things different, for instance twins who are born with identical DNA, have epigenomes that diverge making them different from one another. This will effect the way twins age, their susceptibility to disease, even social experiences can influence their epigenetics. We also have to understand that these epigenetic changes can survive cell division, so it can effect

Many internal and external components collide in order to create individual personalities, behaviors unique to every individual person. The argument of genetic makeup versus environmental influences, however, has researchers working to determine what really defines us. Some say genotypes control the way people think,how they feel, and the ways in which they behave. Others choose to believe that the environment alone in itself is ultimately the determinant for making each individual human into who they are.

Until recently, DNA accounted for a child’s phenotype, and his predisposition for disease and behavior complications (Szyf & Bick, 2012 p. 1). Khan (2010) indicated that epigenetics defied the concept of nature (biology) with the probability of nurture (experiences) (p 259). In this concept, epigenetics is a determinate of how life’s environmental influences affect a child's health and wellness (Szyf & Bick, 2012 p. 1). Combs-Orme (2012) noted, that the effects of epigenetics could present themselves in epigenesis through diet, chemical exposure, stress, poverty and even racism. (p. 1)

There have been and still are many debates about how a person’s genotype can be a significant factor in the development of your personality, but more relating to criminality. It is very hard to say that your genetic make-up is not a factor in who you become as a person, but I fully believe that the environment also is a factor as well. Having a genetic predisposition does not mean that you are automatically going to inherit whatever trait that was passed down from your parents. Everyone has a choice in who they become as individuals; it all just depends on the environment that you are raised in and the people that are around you when you are growing up. There has been a lot of research on this subject and it has concluded that it is more