Epigenetics is an expansion of the classic Mendelian genetics. I have taught that identical twins have the same DNA, and they do, but it doesn't always express itself in the same way. This article is a good beginning to the idea of epigenetics. Scientists have researched...
a series of experiments that caused nematodes raised under the same environmental conditions to experience dramatically different lifespans. Some individuals were exceptionally long-lived, and their descendants, through three generations, also enjoyed long lives. Clearly, the longevity advantage was inherited. And yet, the worms, both short- and long-lived, were genetically identical.
Science News says... longevity may be because they inherited epigenetic marks — chemical tags on their DNA or DNA-associated proteins called histones — that change gene activity without changing the genes themselves.
This animation does an excellent job of showing what epigenetics is and how it affects genes.
Comments can be quite varied on this one. Explain how epigenetics might be used in medicine, agriculture, pharmaceutical, or other industries. Are there any drawback to learning more about this? How does this affect our knowledge of genetics?
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