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Epigenetics is a field of clinical and biological research that is constantly expanding.

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Ajinkya
Epigenetics is a field of clinical and biological research that is constantly expanding.

Epigenetics is the study of environmental changes that do not affect the coding of the gene itself, but instead regulate how that gene is expressed. The Greek prefix eigma in epigenetics refers to biological characteristics which are "additional on top of" or independent of the genetic code. This means that changes to a cell's DNA structure can be influenced by environmental factors and also the actions of the genes themselves. It can be affected by drugs, chemicals, diet, stress, and numerous other factors

Epigenetics and genetics are both related, yet separate concepts from the molecular level of biology. In basic biology, cytology, molecular evolution, and developmental regulation all fall under the umbrella of it. In molecular evolution and developmental regulation, though, the term refers to the ability of cells to change their genetic architecture in response to environmental stimuli. Neurons in the brain, for example, regulate both synaptic plasticity and behavioral state through the regulation of their synapses. Gene regulation involves how genes are expressed by cells and in what manner they are expressed; it is an important but often poorly understood aspect of cell and tissue culture technologies.

In simple terms, it involves the study of changes in DNA methylation patterns, which are determined by genetic differences between organisms. This process of gene expression is conserved between species, but individual differences in DNA methylation can be brought about by environmental factors. These environmental factors include stress, diet, disease, and aging. The lab studies the effect of environmental factors on DNA methylation, which then causes corresponding changes in gene expression between organisms.

The lab studies how changes in DNA methylation affect gene expression and thus behavior and health. To demonstrate the relevance of it to diseases, researchers examine the effect of physical and emotional stress on the cytoskeleton of mice. When the stress results in an elevation in epinephrine, a hormone that commands the nervous system, cells stop producing the protein glycogen, and the mice become obese. When the stressed mice were given a choice to eat more sugar or to do exercises like climbing stairs, they chose to eat more of the sugary food, which led to weight gain over the next three weeks.

This study provides proof of concept for the proposition that it can affect human behavior and health. However, it is not known whether it has long-term effects on human physiology or whether it only affects certain cell types. Other areas of research this are looking at how it may affect long-term health, including Alzheimer's disease and Type II Diabetes.

It has been found that humans can become more or less resistant to disease through the regulation of multiple genes including the Hormone Environment Attachment Factors (HEG), which mark cells as cancerous or not, and the Sex Hormone Binding Resveratrol (SHGC), which inhibits the interaction of histones with the receptors. When a person has a high amount of histones, it is said to have more Epigenetics.

 

Read More @ https://www.evernote.com/shard/s483/sh/b027493a-420b-8087-9508-e432cbf9553d/483901e6c816b30480f62dae692ae0ed

 

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