An Interesting And Informative Video

It may be possible to pass down epigenetic changes to future generations if the changes occur in sperm or egg cells. Most epigenetic changes that occur in sperm and egg cells get erased when the two combine to form a fertilized egg in a process called "reprogramming." This reprogramming allows the cells of the fetus to "start from scratch" and make their own epigenetic changes. However, scientists think that some of the epigenetic changes in parents ' sperm and egg cells may avoid the reprogramming process and make it through to the next generation. If this is true, things like the food a person eats before they conceive could affect their future child. Scientists now think epigenetics can play a role in the development of some cancers. For instance, an epigenetic change that silences a tumor suppressor gene, such as a gene that keeps the growth of the cell in check, could lead to uncontrolled cellular growth. Another example might be an epigenetic change that "turns off" genes that help repair damaged DNA, leading to an increase in DNA damage, which in turn, increases cancer risk. (US, National Institutes of Health)

Moshe Szyf, an epigenist informed us through his Ted Talk, “How life experience is written into DNA,” of our genes and how they are “combined of two components” (15:17). He used rhetorical strategies to engage his audience in understanding the view of DNA through an epigenetics perspective. He provides many examples of experiments performed which show these layers of information. The two layers include the old information from millions of years of evolution and the epigenetic layer which includes the open and dynamic set up of a narrative that is interactive and allows us to control our destiny.

This phenomenon normally shapes culture, behavior, and language over a long period of time. Epigenetics is the study of cellular and physiological trait variations as caused by environmental factors that switch genes on and off. This phenomenon affects the way the cells read and interpret any changes in the DNA sequence. When this coordination fails, disease

Epigenetic changes are vital for normal development and health. However, the disruption of any process that leads to epigenetic alteration can cause abnormal gene regulation. Diseases associated with such disruptions include cancer and mental retardation. These examples will be used as evidence to support my

A related phrase described by Waddington to help elaborate the phenomenon of epigenetics, the ‘epigenetic landscape’ attempts to explain how identical genotypes could result in a wide variety of phenotypic variation through the process of development. This epigenetic landscape can be dynamic – capturing genetic, environmental, and cell lineage effects – and has been shown to be at least partly heritable. (Szyf, M. (2015) Nongenetic inheritance and transgenerational epigenetics. Trends Mol. Med. 21, 134–144). The epigenetic code is hypothesized to be a defining code in every eukaryotic cell consisting of the specific epigenetic modifications in each cell. While in one individual the genetic code in each cell is the same, the epigenetic code is tissue & cell

The epigenetic tags are erased from the chromosomes of the parents. However, there are some epigenetic tags remain on some genes known as imprinted genes.

Epigenetics, essentially, affects how genes are read by cells, and subsequently how they produce proteins.

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

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.

In fact, epigenetics opens wide opportunities to enhance studies in the field of medicine, biology, zoology and other fields of science. In some directions, epigenetics can help to make a breakthrough in the development of some fields of science. This is why one should never narrow the scope and potential of epigenetics. The understanding of chemical reactions and genome activation and deactivation are extremely important for understanding of fundamental principles of the development of living beings and their functioning in the course of their

The genome is the complete set of an individual’s inheritable traits or it’s DNA. As a fetus develops, signals are received that cause incremental change in the gene expression patterns. The DNA in our bodies is wrapped around proteins called histone. The histone and DNA are covered in chemical tags. This structure is called an epigenome. The epigenome shapes the structure of the genome. Epigenetic marks are modifications of DNA and histones. The epigenome tightly wraps inactive genes and allows active genes to be more easily accessible. The epigenome adjusts specific genes in response to our changing environment. The programming of neurons through epigenetic mechanisms is critical in neural development. A type of cellular memory is formed when those changes occur. These are epigenetic tags. Each tag records the cell’s experiences on the DNA. This is to help stabilize gene expression. Over time, and with thousands of different experiences, an epigenetic profile forms for each cell type. Each one is unique, with a distinct identity and a specialized function. A flexible epigenome allows us to adjust and learn from our mistakes. The epigenome responds to signals. These signals come from a variety of places. From fetal development to old age, our epigenome is effected by our environmental factors.

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,

Instead they go through a process of change overtime, or sometimes they’re hereditary. While watching the video, the host Neil deGrasse Tyson stated that our epigenomes tend to change during crucial times in our lives such as puberty and pregnancy. While our mothers were carrying us in their wombs for 9 months, they were passing on these epigenomes that we may pass on to our children. “Just as the genome is passed along from parents to their offspring, the epigenome can also be inherited. The chemical tags found on the DNA and histones of eggs and sperm can be conveyed to the next generation” ("Epigenomics," 2012).

Epigenetics can be hereditable or environmental factors that affect the expression of genes and lead to changes in gene expression. Unlike genetics, epigenetics does not only have to do with which genes are passed down to the offspring and the DNA sequence. The environmental conditions of the offspring’s parents impact the genes in their eggs and sperms by “switching on” certain genes and “switching of” others (Dowshen). Since the genes expression of the gametes are affect, the phenotypes of the offspring will change. Even in a person’s lifetime, environmental factors such as stress, chemical exposure, and diet can continue to impact gene expression through DNA methylation. During DNA methylation, a methyl group is randomly added to a 5-carbon cytosine ring, making 5-methylcytosine and these groups inhibit transcription. (Cheriyedath). Due the fact that transcription is not possible, the expressing of the genes in that section of the DNA strand will be suppressed. The attachment of the methyl group to DNA is not determined, which means that

Since I was first introduced to the molecular functioning of cells as a high school sophomore at the Petnica Science Center in Serbia, I have been fascinated by the intersection between biology and chemistry, where the processes we call “life” occur. Though I considered pursuing a major in Biology, I realized I am far too captivated by the chemical aspect of life, having thoroughly enjoyed the reaction pathways of organic chemistry, to opt out of a Biochemistry major. Yet, epigenetics has been the field that most interests me ever since the 2013 EPGY Summer Institutes at Stanford where Dr. Sebastian Alvarado taught us about the power of a single methyl group to silence a whole gene. Thus, I opted to perform research in a neuroscience and molecular