Epigenetics in my life
Michel Martinez Morales
Miami Dade College
Epigenetics
In 1939, Waddington created a new word; epigenetics, as the link between two disciplines: developmental biology and genetics. Epigenetic studies how genes switch on and off during the development of the human being and through the lifespan, how gene activities segregate during cell division and how our progeny can inherit the consequences of our lifestyle (Holliday, 2006).
To explain the concept of epigenetics, I will use the changes in the pattern of the DNA called methylation (an epigenetic cell tool to switch off a gene) (Phillips, 2008) and its relationship to diseases like cancer. I would do this through a very interesting article “Epigenetics in Cancer” …show more content…
This epigenetic alteration of cancer cells allows them to adapt changes in its microenvironment but certain hypermethylated tumor suppressor genes can awaken with drugs.
Although epigenetic drug research is in its early stage, new promising drugs such as Vidaza or decitabine have proved to be effective in certain diseases like leukemia. Steller concludes that additional research in this area is well-meaning.
Reaction to the Video
After watching the videos about epigenetics (“Epigenetics: The hidden life”, 2009), (“Epigenetics: How food upsets”) I was really impressed. I’ve never thought about the term or why identical twins are sometimes different. I knew people usually use the words “we are what we eat”, but what does this expression really mean? Now it makes sense to me. I also learned how susceptible we are to inherit epigenetic changes due to DNA methylation from our parents.
In both videos, they study how two monozygotic twins with the same DNA sequence will exhibit different phenotype and are susceptible to different diseases when they are exposed to different environmental conditions and eating habits.
Understanding of …show more content…
The most important reason could be the food. When we eat, we deliver all the necessary building blocks our body needs such as protein, lipids, carbohydrates. But sometimes, our food lacks an important group usually found in avocados, broccoli, pomegranates, and beans, the methyl group. Having methyl groups in our body, help to maintain certain enzymes active and to a certain level control which genes are switched off or on. This way, we’re controlling our appearance, behavior, and health, not only for ourselves but also for the next generation.
This allows us to understand there is a second level of information; the epigenome. An epigenome is a group of chemical that tell our DNA (genome) how to express. Not very long ago, scientists believe the origin of human diseases were the results of infectious agents, environmental agents or changes in DNA. However, now we know that changes in epigenome can be the cause of some diseases. Someday epigenome maps will allow a doctor to determine the patient’s health status and to modify a patient’s response to
Michel Martinez Morales
Miami Dade College
Epigenetics
In 1939, Waddington created a new word; epigenetics, as the link between two disciplines: developmental biology and genetics. Epigenetic studies how genes switch on and off during the development of the human being and through the lifespan, how gene activities segregate during cell division and how our progeny can inherit the consequences of our lifestyle (Holliday, 2006).
To explain the concept of epigenetics, I will use the changes in the pattern of the DNA called methylation (an epigenetic cell tool to switch off a gene) (Phillips, 2008) and its relationship to diseases like cancer. I would do this through a very interesting article “Epigenetics in Cancer” …show more content…
This epigenetic alteration of cancer cells allows them to adapt changes in its microenvironment but certain hypermethylated tumor suppressor genes can awaken with drugs.
Although epigenetic drug research is in its early stage, new promising drugs such as Vidaza or decitabine have proved to be effective in certain diseases like leukemia. Steller concludes that additional research in this area is well-meaning.
Reaction to the Video
After watching the videos about epigenetics (“Epigenetics: The hidden life”, 2009), (“Epigenetics: How food upsets”) I was really impressed. I’ve never thought about the term or why identical twins are sometimes different. I knew people usually use the words “we are what we eat”, but what does this expression really mean? Now it makes sense to me. I also learned how susceptible we are to inherit epigenetic changes due to DNA methylation from our parents.
In both videos, they study how two monozygotic twins with the same DNA sequence will exhibit different phenotype and are susceptible to different diseases when they are exposed to different environmental conditions and eating habits.
Understanding of …show more content…
The most important reason could be the food. When we eat, we deliver all the necessary building blocks our body needs such as protein, lipids, carbohydrates. But sometimes, our food lacks an important group usually found in avocados, broccoli, pomegranates, and beans, the methyl group. Having methyl groups in our body, help to maintain certain enzymes active and to a certain level control which genes are switched off or on. This way, we’re controlling our appearance, behavior, and health, not only for ourselves but also for the next generation.
This allows us to understand there is a second level of information; the epigenome. An epigenome is a group of chemical that tell our DNA (genome) how to express. Not very long ago, scientists believe the origin of human diseases were the results of infectious agents, environmental agents or changes in DNA. However, now we know that changes in epigenome can be the cause of some diseases. Someday epigenome maps will allow a doctor to determine the patient’s health status and to modify a patient’s response to