Introduction
Epigenetics, “above-genetics” is concerned with the mechanism that underlies developmental processes and canalization that are neither necessarily transmitted nor brought about by changes in the DNA sequence in both eukaryotes and prokaryotes. At the cellular level it focuses on the developmental process that leads to cell determination and cell differentiation (Jablonka & Raz, 2009).
Narrowly defined, epigenetics refers to the scientific approach concerned with changes in the cell’s transcriptional potential through DNA-methylation, chromatin modulation and non-coding RNAs related gene silencing. Epigenetics could give us clues to solve some long-standing mysteries that go beyond boundaries of genetics, such as cellular identity, …show more content…
; Salazar-ciudad & Marin-Riera, 2013).
I.2 Epigenetic mechanisms associated with phenotypic plasticity in plants exposed to abiotic stress: climate change The long-term variation in the earth’s weather patterns is referred to as climate change. Indicators of such shifts include extreme temperatures, heavy precipitations (rainfalls and snows), changing seasons, drought and floods. Being one of the factors that influence natural selection, yet, it impacts on both wild plants and agricultural crop yields.
Green plants constitute an important part of the ecosystem as they produce most of the world’s molecular oxygen as side-product during phothesynthetic processes. Moreover, most of them are edible or sources of bioactive phytochemicals.
Climate change driving phenotypic plasticity in wild plants
To survive, wild plants of a given geological time and areas are most exposed to environmental challenges, therefore a natural and sophisticated mechanism is need to ensure perenity of the
Epigenetics, “above-genetics” is concerned with the mechanism that underlies developmental processes and canalization that are neither necessarily transmitted nor brought about by changes in the DNA sequence in both eukaryotes and prokaryotes. At the cellular level it focuses on the developmental process that leads to cell determination and cell differentiation (Jablonka & Raz, 2009).
Narrowly defined, epigenetics refers to the scientific approach concerned with changes in the cell’s transcriptional potential through DNA-methylation, chromatin modulation and non-coding RNAs related gene silencing. Epigenetics could give us clues to solve some long-standing mysteries that go beyond boundaries of genetics, such as cellular identity, …show more content…
; Salazar-ciudad & Marin-Riera, 2013).
I.2 Epigenetic mechanisms associated with phenotypic plasticity in plants exposed to abiotic stress: climate change The long-term variation in the earth’s weather patterns is referred to as climate change. Indicators of such shifts include extreme temperatures, heavy precipitations (rainfalls and snows), changing seasons, drought and floods. Being one of the factors that influence natural selection, yet, it impacts on both wild plants and agricultural crop yields.
Green plants constitute an important part of the ecosystem as they produce most of the world’s molecular oxygen as side-product during phothesynthetic processes. Moreover, most of them are edible or sources of bioactive phytochemicals.
Climate change driving phenotypic plasticity in wild plants
To survive, wild plants of a given geological time and areas are most exposed to environmental challenges, therefore a natural and sophisticated mechanism is need to ensure perenity of the