Epigenetics

From Citizendium
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This article is a stub and thus not approved.
Main Article
Discussion
Related Articles  [?]
Bibliography  [?]
External Links  [?]
Citable Version  [?]
 
This editable Main Article is under development and subject to a disclaimer.

Epigenetics is the study of how a person's behavior and environment can cause changes that affect the way their genes work. Unlike genetic changes, epigenetic changes are reversible and do not change a person's DNA sequence, but they can change how a person's body responds to, or does not respond to, a DNA sequence.[1] The discovery that lifestyle choices and/or environment can affect whether certain genes "express" is of great importance in the field of health care, suggesting benefits for preventive education.

Notes

  1. What is Epigenetics? at the U.S. Center for Disease Control