Epigenetics and more
Earlier this week I attended an epigenetics talk at Washington University St. Louis´s medical campus. The presentation described the basics of epigenetics and the research that displays how epigenetics work. For all who are questioning what epigenetics is, it is the change of an organism caused by the change of a gene expression, the gene code itself stays the same. The biggest example of epigenetics is DNA methylation. During methylation a carbon with hydrogen atoms around it is added onto the DNA molecule changing the expression of the DNA sequence. An example of DNA methylation in action is when some genes are silenced only creating one gene copy expressed, known as genomic imprinting. With all the background of epigenetics covered it helps to understand the cool research conducted. The study of the queen bee and worker bee shows how epigenetics creates a different bee. A queen bee and worker bee are both born the same kind of bee. However, as they grow they are fed different foods and environments that create the queen bee and worker bee. Another similar example is the agouti mice and yellow mice. The mice look physically different because of the types of food/nutrients their mother ate while pregnant. The yellow mouse is chubby and overall at higher health risk because his mother did not eat vitamins during her pregnancy. However, the agouti mouse if normal size and at lower health risk because his mother ate vitamins and nutrients. Overall, the epigenetics talk was very informational and super interesting. It helped open my eyes to different studies of genetics in all living organisms.
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