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  • Essay / Developing My Understanding of Epigenetics

    My understanding of epigenetics is directly related to my understanding of how basic genetics itself works. Cells, commonly referred to as the “building blocks of life” or “the smallest unit of life” are like little workers in every human being that play a major role in the functioning of the body. The activities of cells are directed by deoxyribose nucleic acid (DNA). Which is made up of four nucleotide bases, adenine, guanine, cytosine and thymine, all of which can only be associated with one other base. The structure of nucleotide bases is what determines what our genes are, and genes are specific sequences of bases that provide instructions on how to make proteins that control how we function. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”?Get the original essayEpigenetics is the study of changes in gene expression, a change in phenotype without a change in genotype, which can be inherited or caused by certain lifestyles. . The epigenetics video opened my eyes to how gene expression affects us, those around us, and those who will come after us. It also enlightened me about how identical twins develop and change over time, and how this led to discoveries about the effect of age on gene expression. Research on mice has helped me understand how epigenetics itself can cause certain gene expression that can have a negative effect on health. But at the same time, reverse it, that is, repair the unhealthy gene expression. In the video, scientists were able to change the tags that manipulate gene expression in offspring by changing the diet of a pregnant mouse. Which may regulate the gene that makes a mouse fat or thin. This is due to an epigenetic difficulty that can be inherited by the next generation of mice, even if the mother's diet was changed or not. Environmental toxins also reversed the epigenetic solution that made the skinny mice fat. This was mind-blowing to me, because being able to manipulate gene expression like this in humans would be revolutionary for modern medicine. The lifestyles of our parents and grandparents can help us make predictions about health and determine or prevent health problems in our children. All of this is possible because we have something called an epigenome which tells our cells what type of cells they should be. for example the heart, bones or skin. They all have the same genes, but the epigenome silences the unnecessary ones to make the cells diverse. Epigenetic instructions are passed on as cells divide, but do not necessarily last. Researchers believe they may change during critical periods like puberty or pregnancy. There is mind-blowing and groundbreaking research that is making it easier to treat diseases and cancer. Epigenetic therapy aims to modify the instructions rather than kill the cell, by reactivating or reprogramming it. Our epigenome is more vulnerable, so we have a responsibility to take care of our body and treat it like a temple. But it allows us to invent drugs to correct and reprogram cells. While asking my family about his medical history, I made some interesting discoveries. Firstly, the disease I am most at risk for is high blood pressure, which can be the main cause..