What is epigenetics?
I’ve been asked by some of you as to what is this new ‘buzz’ word ‘EPIGENETICS’ that keeps cropping up.
I am using the definition as laid down by one of the European Epigenetics Research Community.
Epigenetics was originally defined as ‘the interactions of genes with their environment that bring the phenotype into being’.
Today, the term is used to describe the study of heritable changes in genome function that occur without a change in DNA sequence. This includes; the study of how patterns of gene expression are passed from one cell to its descendants, how gene expression changes during the differentiation of one cell type into another, and how environmental factors can change the way genes are expressed.
There are far-reaching implications of epigenetic research for agriculture and for human biology and disease, including our understanding of stem cells, cancer and ageing.
For further information visit www.epigenome.eu
Hope this helps!
Penny
FYI – Nova has a good layman’s summary of epigenetics that I recently linked in at Speckblog. It’s viewable online.
http://www.speckblog.net/2007/08/29/why-it-actually-is-all-your-fault/
Epigenetics is a very cool thing (even if it has such an awful name!). In an answer I wrote here I talk about how the environment can affect how a gene is expressed (this was in regard to how a surrogate mother might affect a child). The picture of the two mice who are genetically identical but who express their genes differently because of what mom ate is particularly stunning.
Thanks Barry
I recall reading an article about the pitfalls of future cloning of beloved pets. Even if you cloned a favorite (deceased) pet such as a cat or a dog, they most probably would not look the same because of the different environment they developed in and so thier genes were expressed differently.