EPIGENETIC CHANGE Meaning and
Definition
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Epigenetic change refers to alterations in gene activity or expression that are heritable and can be passed from one generation to another without changes in the underlying DNA sequence. It involves modifications to the structure or function of the genome that influence gene expression patterns and potentially affect an organism's development, physiology, and susceptibility to diseases.
The term "epigenetic" is derived from Greek roots, where "epi" means "above" or "beyond." Epigenetic changes can occur through a variety of mechanisms, including DNA methylation, histone modifications, and non-coding RNA molecules. These modifications can impact the accessibility of genes to cellular machinery responsible for reading and executing genetic instructions.
Epigenetic changes are influenced by a combination of genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors. For instance, exposure to certain chemicals, diet, stress, and maternal behaviors during pregnancy have been linked to epigenetic modifications in offspring.
These changes have been found to play significant roles in various biological processes, including development, aging, and disease progression. Epigenetic alterations can result in abnormal gene expression patterns, leading to an increased risk of developing diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases, neurological disorders, and metabolic disorders.
Understanding epigenetic changes has opened up new avenues for research and potential therapeutic interventions. It has also shed light on how environmental factors can influence gene expression and has implications for personalized medicine and the development of interventions to prevent or treat disease by targeting specific epigenetic modifications.
Common Misspellings for EPIGENETIC CHANGE
- wpigenetic change
- spigenetic change
- dpigenetic change
- rpigenetic change
- 4pigenetic change
- 3pigenetic change
- eoigenetic change
- eligenetic change
- e0igenetic change
- epugenetic change
- epjgenetic change
- epkgenetic change
- epogenetic change
- ep9genetic change
- ep8genetic change
- epifenetic change
- epivenetic change
- epibenetic change
- epihenetic change
- epiyenetic change
Etymology of EPIGENETIC CHANGE
The word "epigenetic" is derived from the Greek word "epi", meaning "upon" or "above", and "genetics", which refers to the study of genes and heredity. In this context, "epigenetic" refers to changes in gene function or expression that occur without alterations in the underlying DNA sequence. The term "epigenetic change" was likely coined to describe these modifications that occur "above" or "upon" the genetic material.
