Epigenetic Factors In The Cultural Environment

DNA is the scientific way to identify oneself, it contains one’s personal roadmap set up for life. However, DNA is not set in stone, environmental factors can alter the gene expression of an individual, this phenomenon is known as epigenetics. Epigenetics is how chemical signals modify genes without changing the overall structure of the DNA sequence. The chemicals that are produced affect which genes are expressed due to environmental factors (Turner). A big factor in a person’s environment is cultural heritage and how it shapes one’s identity. Factors in the cultural environment can affect a person’s internal equilibrium, known as homeostasis influencing the phenotypic ratio of the organism’s gene expression. The maintaining of homeostasis is an essential aspect of regulating an organism’s make up and keeping the organism alive (Richards). Natural selection and the competition for survival is evident in every organism from …show more content…
When histones are tightly intertwined with the DNA strand, the DNA is unable to be read. In addition, chemical changes performed on the surface of histones can then change the association of the protein in the segment of DNA (WIlliams). In the case of identical twins, the process of inactivation and activation could explain variance in the identical genetic sequence. According to a Spanish twin study, “the patterns of DNA methylation and modification in identical DNA strands exhibit ‘remarkable’ differences” based on identical twin’s DNA later in life compared to their indistinguishable strand early in life (Powledge). The differences in patterns of alteration in the identical DNA strand exhibits the effects the environment displays in the genome. The silencing or activation of a gene could in turn, determine the individual’s development of a disease, or phenotypic expression portrayed by the personal