A in the form of genes. I just recently read an article talking about epigenetics and the epigenome. The epigenome refers to the complex system of chemical switches and markers that live on the outside of our DNA and whose sole purpose is to turn genes on or off (through a process called methylation) at specific times depending on what instructions are needed (do we need to make a liver cell, brain cell, eye cell etc.). So it looks like DNA can’t do its thing without the epigenome. And scientists, as it turns out, are finding that the epigenetic structure can be handed down from generation to generation! So what does this mean? It means that not only do each of us have “say” over what genes turn on (or off) and when based on our diet, stress levels, environmental conditions etc BUT we can hand that on/off structure to our offspring. As Britt put it, “there is no longer a conflict of nature vs nurture…. It is BOTH.” !!!!!
Friday, January 18, 2008
Nature? Nurture?
We have always thought that everything we are is written in the code found in our DN
A in the form of genes. I just recently read an article talking about epigenetics and the epigenome. The epigenome refers to the complex system of chemical switches and markers that live on the outside of our DNA and whose sole purpose is to turn genes on or off (through a process called methylation) at specific times depending on what instructions are needed (do we need to make a liver cell, brain cell, eye cell etc.). So it looks like DNA can’t do its thing without the epigenome. And scientists, as it turns out, are finding that the epigenetic structure can be handed down from generation to generation! So what does this mean? It means that not only do each of us have “say” over what genes turn on (or off) and when based on our diet, stress levels, environmental conditions etc BUT we can hand that on/off structure to our offspring. As Britt put it, “there is no longer a conflict of nature vs nurture…. It is BOTH.” !!!!!
A in the form of genes. I just recently read an article talking about epigenetics and the epigenome. The epigenome refers to the complex system of chemical switches and markers that live on the outside of our DNA and whose sole purpose is to turn genes on or off (through a process called methylation) at specific times depending on what instructions are needed (do we need to make a liver cell, brain cell, eye cell etc.). So it looks like DNA can’t do its thing without the epigenome. And scientists, as it turns out, are finding that the epigenetic structure can be handed down from generation to generation! So what does this mean? It means that not only do each of us have “say” over what genes turn on (or off) and when based on our diet, stress levels, environmental conditions etc BUT we can hand that on/off structure to our offspring. As Britt put it, “there is no longer a conflict of nature vs nurture…. It is BOTH.” !!!!!
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