Your DNA sequence is fixed, but how your genes are expressed can change throughout your life. Epigenetics -- the study of heritable changes in gene expression that do not involve alterations to the DNA sequence -- is revolutionizing our understanding of health and disease.
Key Mechanisms
- DNA methylation: Adding methyl groups to DNA that silence gene expression
- Histone modification: Chemical changes to histone proteins that affect how tightly DNA is wound
- Non-coding RNA: RNA molecules that regulate gene expression without being translated into protein
Environmental Influences
Diet, stress, exercise, sleep, toxin exposure, and even social interactions can modify your epigenome, affecting which genes are active and which are silenced.