Definition:
,Epigenetics is the study of variations occurring in cell’s function but these variations are not due to the changes in DNA sequence unlike genetics in which changes are associated with changes in DNA sequence changes these changes in gene expression and in cell’s phenotype of epigenetics have other reasons thus use of the term epi- (Greek: επί- over, outside of, around).
Explaination:
As epigenetics is do not concerned with changes in neucleotide sequence so the best possible reasons to cause such changes could be DNA methylation and Histone modification. Gene expression is primarily based upon the action of repressor proteins which became attached with the silencer parts of the DNA. These epigenetic changes may persisit throughout
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H. Waddington in 1942 as combination of two words firstone was “epigenesis” and second was “genetics”. Epigenesis is an old word which now a days is used to refer the term differentiation of cells from their initial totipotent state in embryonic development. When Waddington joined he was not well aware of physical nature of genes and their role in heredity he used it conceptually to determine that how genes interact with their surrounding environment to show particular type of phenotype.
“Erik Erikson” also used the term epigenetic principle in one of his publication in 1968 probably named as “Youth and Crisis” and used it to describe the notion comprehensively that our surrounding environment and culture influence us effectively This socio-cultural cycle is completed in different stages of development.Thus epigenetic is anything other than change in DNA sequence.
Molecular basis:
Epigenetic can effect activation of certain genes. Moreover chromatin proteins which are associated with DNA may also be activated or silenced. This is why multicellular organism express only the genes that are necessary for their own activity. Most of the epigenetic changes take place within one individual’s lifetime and are mostly not heritable but these changes could be heritable if genes inactivation happens in eggs or in sperms this type of epigenetic change could be the reason of its heritability and may pass to next
Epigenetics is the word that is used for genes that are modified in order to assist certain genome sequences that lead to diseases and disorders. Epigenetics has come a long way since the first genome sequence had its draft breakthrough in the year 2000 (NOVA 2012). From depression to cancer, epigenetics has made its way through to provide families with the appropriate knowledge and perhaps medication in order to avoid these diseases and disorders in the future.
Bullying is a serious issue that can occur to various people of different age and background. It is considered a serious problem because of the long lasting health problems that comes with it. The many effects of bullying such as, depression and alcoholism can cause changes in our genes which can possibly be passed on to the future generations. In Sharon Moalem’s essay “Changing Our Genes: How Trauma, Bullying, and Royal Jelly Alter Our Genetic Destiny” he discussed about the effects of bullying on the victims and how it causes gene changes. It is important to know how to prevent bullying as the effects can influence a person mentally and genetically which can be passed on to future generations later on.
Trisomy 13 or Patau Syndrome” Trisomy 13 is a genetic disorder found in babies. It is also called Patau syndrome in honor of the physician who first described it, Krause Palau. Trisomy 13 is a genetic disorder in which there is three copies of chromosomes on Chromosome 13. Patau first described the syndrome and its involvement with trisomy in 1960. It is sometimes called Bartholin-Patau syndrome, named in part for Thomas Bartholin, a French physician who described an infant with the syndrome in 1656.
A permanent change in the DNA sequence which makes up a gene is what is referred to as gene mutation (Mahoney & Springer 2009). It is believed that gene mutation occurs in two ways: that is, it can be acquired in personal lifetime or inherited from a parent. Those that are passed from parents to the child are referred to as hereditary mutation. They acquire the name since they are present in the eggs and sperms or the germ cell. In this case, such kind of mutation is present all through one’s life in almost every cell in the body. A similarity in mutation and gene diversity is the change in the DNA sequence which makes both mutation and genetic diversity have related issues.
Stem cells help us to maintain and heal our bodies, as they are undifferentiated cells, their roles are not yet determined. They have the ability to become anything during early life and growth. Stem cells come from two sources, namely: embryonic stem cells (embryo’s formed during the blastocyst phase of embryological development) and adult stem cells (see figure 3).
Cancer is beyond mutations. By definition, epigenetics is the change in gene translation that is caused by alterations not directly due to genetic mutations in the DNA sequence. The 2 main mechanisms are DNA methylation and covalent modification of histones. By methylation, certain molecular tags (methyl groups) bind to a specific sequence of a gene, that results in its disability hence incapable of being translated into its appropriate protein product. These changes affect the cell’s functions leaving its DNA unchanged. Epi is derived from Latin meaning above; hence an epigenetic configuration overlies our genetic predispositions.
For decades, biologists have been using stem cells to figure out possible cures for different diseases and even prevent them. Stem cells are cells that can become useable in certain tissues in the body (according to an infant), or tissue cells that are already found in blood, bones, the brain, and skin (in adults or children). Stem cells are being used for patients with lymphoma (begins in the immune system), leukemia (cancer of white blood cells), and other types of blood disorders.
“If Genetics was the recipe then Epigenetics would be the Chef who would create his own idea of how to present the dish”, ~ Eliza Hazlerigg
Sharon Moalem, the author of Inheritance, is a geneticist who through the penning of this novel, effectively educated readers in the field of genetics and revealed connections between inheritance and epigenetics. Throughout the novel, He used several distinct phenomena to illustrate the importance of what people inherit and how life experience can change genes. He shows readers the importance of what they inherit by showing how what you inherit can help or hurt you. The first example of this that he uses is that our diet should be shaped by what our ancestors ate because we essentially inherit what they ate. He illustrates this phenomenon by showing how Asians are more likely to be lactose intolerant because their ancestors did not raise livestock. The next example is
This paper goes over genetic engineering and how it is used today in the medical field as two types on humans, disabled genetic engineering and trait genetic engineering. This two types of genetic engineering are still debatable since they have to surpass many obstacles and laws. The sources gave statements from professionals and experts on genetic engineering, biomedical science, biomedical engineering, and human anatomy and physiology. The individuals gave their inputs on how they view genetic engineering on human beings.
Epigenetics is the study of both heritable and non-heritable changes in gene translation, which do not stem from mutation. Epigenetic alterations to DNA may occur in several different ways; histone modification, DNA methylations, expression of microRNAs, and changes of the chromatin structure (Ntanasis-Stathopoulos et al). Depending on their presentation, they may be passed on to offspring. The exact mechanism of heritable epigenetic modification has not been discovered, but all of these alterations may have some impact on a wide range of disorders and have far reaching implications in the medical field. The study of epigenetics seeks to answer the age old question of whether nature or nurture is responsible for our phenotype, and it has arrived at the answer that in fact, both are. The discovery of epigenetic changes may lead us to cure many disorders, and even personality problems.
A recent field of biology, called epigenetics, is rapidly transforming previous ideas on the impact of genes. The...
Career Description: Clinical geneticists are physicians who specialize in the field of genetics. They provide diagnostic aid, treat, and counsel patients with genetically-caused health issues. Clinical geneticists may work alongside genetic counsellors and laboratory geneticists, advise therapy and set up screenings to evaluate the patient. Geneticists work in various places such as hospitals and clinics, pharmaceutical companies, private research facilities, biotechnological research companies, government departments, and even universities in biology departments with their focus on genetics. The work environment for a clinical geneticist tends to be a hospital/clinic setting or sometimes a classroom setting either to teach or conduct research at a
Human beings are born, formed and changed from one generation to the other through genetics. When a child enters the world, there is always a lot of excitement and uncertainty as which parent will the baby look like? Genes of the both parents determines the physical makeup of a child and therefore, genetics plays a very big role in human development. Genetics chromosomes are distributed equally by the parents to the child and they play a big role in the development of the child. Genes determines the development of a fetus inside its mother’s womb and outside of the mother’s womb.
Editing human DNA ( Deoxyribonucleic acid is a molecule that carries the genetic instructions used in the growth, development, functioning and reproduction of all known living organisms and many viruses. (Wikipedia 1) has always been a widely controversial topic. Some believe it's wrong, while others believe it could be very beneficial to the future of curing diseases and having healthy children. I believe personally that this is not something to tamper with. Here are some reasons why.