Epigenetics

While a newborn lamb can get up and walk minutes after birth, a newborn primate requires much more time to do the same; nonetheless, even among primates, human children require the longest period of care [INSERT CITATION]. Human children spend a large portion of their early life in need of constant care from parents; hence, their environment predominantly entails parental interaction. This paper will argue that although genetics is a decisive force in children’s development, the influence of parenting as an environmental factor is just as critical. The significance of parental influence will be presented through the lens of epigenetics, “the study of heritable, but modifiable, changes in gene expression that do not involve changes to the underlying…

packaged around histones, which order it into units known as nucleosomes. The epigenome is made up of chemical compounds and proteins that can attach to DNA and switch certain genes on or off, controlling the functions and roles of different cells. Epigenetics, which involves genetic control by factors outside of the DNA sequence, can switch genes on or off and determine how proteins are copied and the roles they have in certain cells. Though DNA can be compared to the harddrive on a computer,…

focuses on an issue that tends to go un-noticed, it is supported with many examples, facts, and even advice to potential physicians and future doctors. Stein, R. (2011). Epigenetics and environmental exposures. Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health, Volume 66 (Issue 8), pages 8-13. Retrieved on October 3, 2015. Epigenetic and Environmental Exposure analyzes how aspects of genetics are deficient to fully clarify many processes that cause advancement and ilness. The author, Richard A.…

The nature versus nurture argument is, and has been, one of the most hotly debated topics in modern science for decades. The argument of whether humans start out as a “blank slate” or Tabula Rasa, as opposed to being predisposed with certain environmental effects out of their control transcends even natural science and enters into the realms of philosophy and psychology. It is nearly undeniable that the ideas of Mendelian inheritance are sound theories, yet the argument for…

Throughout the century, there has been a debate if children learn because of their genetics, or because of the environment they are in. With hundreds of studies done, there still is no one exact answer. Most people say it is Nature, or in your genes; or Nurture, from your environment. Although it could be said either nature or nurture predominantly decides who you will turn out to be, I argue that it is both a combination of nature and nurture based studies on epigenetics, language acquisition,…

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…

two different but equally fascinating cultures. Learning to adjust and adapt to a new environment also showed me that as long as I was determined and persistent, I can overcome even challenges that might appear at first glance to be insurmountable. I first started doing research in high school with Dr. Emily Bernstein at Mt Sinai School of Medicine. Her lab focuses on epigenetic regulation of gene expression in cancer and I examined the expression level of a histone variant- macroH2A in breast…

Angelman Syndrome Description of the Disease An extremely rare and uncommon disease known as Angelman Syndrome is a very complex neurodevelopmental and monogenic disorder (Bailus, 2014). The term neurodevelopmental refers to the shape, reshape, state and generation of the nervous system during the embryonic stages of life, while the term monogenic can be explained as a disease, which is controlled and inherited, by a single pair of genes (Gentile, 2009). It is estimated that Angelman Syndrome…

Epigenome compounds are bunches of chemical compounds that tell the genome what to do. They can turn genes on or off and control the production of proteins. The epigenome controls changes to the genome. It is made of chemical compounds. Some of the compounds are from manmade materials. Parents pass the genome to their children and during the passing of the epigenome, it is reset. The epigenome can change throughout a lifetime. Many factors can change it such as: smoking and diet. Epigenomes…

What is epigenetics? “Epi” translated from the Greek language means “on top of” or “over”. Meaning the word epigenetics shows that certain genes will be displayed over/before others. (2) Epigenetics is the study of the phenomenon that certain genes could be expressed within an individual whilst others are suppressed. This is the idea of being able to change your phenotype without affecting/changing your genotype in any way. (1) There can be a great many things that will influence epigenetics…