They can turn some genes off or on at some point. It is an external modification of DNA. Epigenetics, are traits that are above all the genes. It does not affect the sequence of the DNA, but it does how the DNA reads. It may live in the body of a person for as long as some cells are still alive. In others, it lasts in their life time from childhood to adulthood. It may also be passed over generations.
It alters the physical structure of the DNA. An example of such a change is DNA methylation added to a methyl group or what is otherwise referred to as a chemical cap. This actually suppresses certain genes from being expressed. So the sequence of the DNA will appear the same, but the physical appearance of the organism will appear different.
Histone is a protein that DNA wraps itself round. This allows DNA to fit into all the cells. Without it, DNA would be very long and would not be able to fit anywhere. The DNA is also required not to wrap itself too tightly on to the histone otherwise the readability will be a challenge. There are modifications that relax the histone and make the readability easier.
The skin cells, muscle cells, and brain cells appear different in their structural formation and even functions. Yet somehow, they contain the same genetic material. These are because although they may contain the same genes, the way these genes are expressed is totally different. These are why our body parts appear to be different.
Epigenetics may actually be passed on to the next generation. This may happen if they are present in the sperm or egg cell or both. However, the epigenetics are erased when the sperm and egg combine to form a fertilized egg. This process is called reprogramming. It is where the cells of the fetus are given a chance to form their own epigenetics.
The reprogramming is not guaranteed to happen in all the cases. This means that the epigenetics may be transferred on to the fetus. The food that was ingested before conception may actually affect the future of the baby. It is therefore important to eat well. This theory is however yet to be proved to have worked in human beings.
Scientists believe that epigenetics can play a role in some cancers. Some genes might lack the ability to control how big a cell grows. These are what turn out to be tumors. These are because the body has no control over how large the cell becomes and it grows so large and makes some of the body functions quite difficult to be undertaken.
Some others are known to suppress the cells responsible for repairing the damaged DNA. When these are suppressed the immune system grows weak. This is one of the ways cancer is able to inhabit the body of the person.
It alters the physical structure of the DNA. An example of such a change is DNA methylation added to a methyl group or what is otherwise referred to as a chemical cap. This actually suppresses certain genes from being expressed. So the sequence of the DNA will appear the same, but the physical appearance of the organism will appear different.
Histone is a protein that DNA wraps itself round. This allows DNA to fit into all the cells. Without it, DNA would be very long and would not be able to fit anywhere. The DNA is also required not to wrap itself too tightly on to the histone otherwise the readability will be a challenge. There are modifications that relax the histone and make the readability easier.
The skin cells, muscle cells, and brain cells appear different in their structural formation and even functions. Yet somehow, they contain the same genetic material. These are because although they may contain the same genes, the way these genes are expressed is totally different. These are why our body parts appear to be different.
Epigenetics may actually be passed on to the next generation. This may happen if they are present in the sperm or egg cell or both. However, the epigenetics are erased when the sperm and egg combine to form a fertilized egg. This process is called reprogramming. It is where the cells of the fetus are given a chance to form their own epigenetics.
The reprogramming is not guaranteed to happen in all the cases. This means that the epigenetics may be transferred on to the fetus. The food that was ingested before conception may actually affect the future of the baby. It is therefore important to eat well. This theory is however yet to be proved to have worked in human beings.
Scientists believe that epigenetics can play a role in some cancers. Some genes might lack the ability to control how big a cell grows. These are what turn out to be tumors. These are because the body has no control over how large the cell becomes and it grows so large and makes some of the body functions quite difficult to be undertaken.
Some others are known to suppress the cells responsible for repairing the damaged DNA. When these are suppressed the immune system grows weak. This is one of the ways cancer is able to inhabit the body of the person.
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