2. Introduction
Not only do your genes influence your
health, but so do your actions and the
environment in which you live. This includes
things like the foods you consume and the
amount of exercise you get. Epigenetics is
the study of how a person’s behavior and
their environment may generate changes
that impact how their genes function. That’s
why it is important to have a Perfect Diet
Plan and Fitness Routine. HealthCodes
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Epigenetic alterations, in contrast to genetic
modifications, are reversible and do not
alter the sequence of your DNA. However,
they may modify the way that your body
interprets a DNA sequence.
The term “gene expression” refers to the
frequency or timing of the production of
3. proteins based on the instructions contained
within your genes. Epigenetic alterations
impact gene expression and may “turn on”
or “turn off” genes, in contrast to genetic
modifications. Which can change the kind
of protein that produce. It is simple to
identify the relationship between your genes
and the environment and the behaviors you
engage in because your environment and
habits, such as nutrition and exercise, may
result in changes to your epigenome.
What is the mechanism behind epigenetics?
Changes in epigenetics may have a variety
of effects on how genes are expressed. The
following are examples of epigenetic
changes:
The methylation of DNA
The process of DNA methylation involves
the addition of a chemical group to the
4. genetic material. In most cases, this group
appends certain locations on the DNA.
Where it obstructs the ability of proteins to
“read” the gene by attaching to DNA and
doing so. Through an operation known as
demethylation, it is possible to eliminate this
chemical group. In most cases, methylation
will “switch off” genes, while demethylation
will “switch on” genes.
Histone modification
Histone proteins encase DNA in their spiral
structure. The proteins that “read” the gene
are unable to reach the DNA if it is securely
wrapped around the histones. Some genes
are turned “off”. They are wrapped around
histones, whereas other genes, which are
not wrapped around histones, are activated
because they are not turned off. It is
possible to add or remove chemical groups
from histones. Which will result in a change
5. in whether a gene is wrapped or
unwrapped (“on” or “off”).
RNA that lacks codons
Coding and non-coding RNA are both
produced from your body based on the
instructions found in your DNA. The
production of proteins requires coding
RNA. The process by which non-coding
RNA attaches to coding RNA, along with
specific proteins, to break down coding
RNA so that it cannot be utilized to produce
proteins is one method by which non-
coding RNA contributes to the regulation of
gene expression. Non-coding RNA may
recruit proteins to change histones to “turn
on” or “turn off” genes.
How Can Changes Occur in Your
Epigenetics?
6. Your epigenetic make-up changes as you
get older, both as a natural consequence of
maturation and the passage of time and as
a result of the effects of your actions and
the world around you.
The Interplay Between Genetics and
Development
Changes to your epigenome occur even
before you are born. Although they all
share the same DNA, each of your cells has
its unique appearance and behavior.
During development and growth,
epigenetics plays a role in determining the
function that a cell will have, such as
whether it will become a cell that makes up
the skin, the heart, or the nervous system.
Example: Nerve cell vs. Muscle cell
7. Even though they share the same DNA,
your muscle cells and nerve cells have quite
distinct functions. One of the functions of a
nerve cell is to transmit information to other
cells in the body. The structure of a muscle
cell contributes to the capability of your
body to move about. Through the process
of epigenetics, a muscle cell can generate
proteins that are essential to its function
while simultaneously silencing genes that
are essential to the function of a nerve cell.
Epigenetics and chronological age
Your epigenetic makeup will evolve as you
go through life. Your epigenetics when you
were born are not the same as your
epigenetics when you were a kid or when
you were an adult.
Example:
8. DNA methylation at millions of locations
assesses a baby, a 26-year-old, and a 103-
year-old participant in the study. The
comparison included a newborn, a 26-
year-old, and an older participant. The
degree to which DNA is methylated
decreases as people become older. The
level of DNA methylation in a newborn was
the greatest, while the level in a 103-year-
old was the lowest. The level of DNA
methylation in a 26-year-old was
intermediate between that of the newborn
and the 103-year-old
Epigenetics and the Capability to Change
Not all modifications brought about by
epigenetics are permanent. Some
epigenetic alterations can introduce or
deleted in response to shifts in either
behavior or the surrounding environment.
9. Example: Smokers vs. non-smokers vs.
former smokers
Changes to one’s epigenome may be
brought on by smoking. For instance,
compared to non-smokers, smokers often
have a lower level of DNA methylation in
certain regions of the AHRR gene. The gap
is even wider between heavy smokers and
smokers who have maintained their habit
for many years. Former smokers can begin
to exhibit enhanced DNA methylation at
this gene sometime after they have given
up smoking. They eventually have the
potential to attain levels that are
comparable to those of non-smokers. This
might happen in less than a year for some
people. But the exact amount of time it
takes depends on how long and how much
someone smoked before they stopped.
10. The Link Between Epigenetics and Health
Alterations to your epigenome may have a
variety of effects on your health, including
the following:
Infections
Germs can alter your epigenetics and make
your immune system less effective. This
contributes to the germ’s ability to live.
Example: Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Mycobacterium tuberculosis causes TB.
Infections caused by these pathogens may
lead to alterations in the histones of certain
of your immune cells. Which ultimately
results in the “off” switch being flipped on
the IL-12B gene. Your immune system will
be weakened, and the likelihood of
Mycobacterium tuberculosis surviving will
increase if you “switch off” the IL-12B gene.
11. Cancer
A higher risk of developing cancer is
associated with having certain mutations. In
a similar vein, some epigenetic
modifications may raise your chance of
developing cancer. For instance, if you have
a mutation in the BRCA1 gene that stops it
from acting as it should, you have an
increased risk of developing breast cancer
as well as other types of cancer. Increased
DNA methylation, which leads to lower
BRCA1 gene expression, also elevates the
risk of cancer, including breast cancer as
well as other types of cancer. Even while
certain genes in cancer cells have higher
levels of DNA methylation than normal cells
do, the total amount of DNA methylation is
lower in cancer cells.
12. Normal cells have higher levels of DNA
methylation. Seemingly identical forms of
cancer can have very distinct patterns of
DNA methylation. Epigenetics may use to
assist in determining the kind of cancer that
a person has or can assist in the early
detection of tumors that are difficult to
detect. Epigenetics cannot use identify
cancer on its own; further screening
procedures require to validate any potential
cancer diagnoses.
Example: Colorectal Cancer
The expression of some genes alters
colorectal tumors as a result of aberrant
methylation of DNA in areas that are close
to those genes. Stool samples are examined
in some commercial colorectal cancer
screening tests to check for abnormally high
levels of DNA methylation in any one or
13. more of these DNA locations. You must be
aware of the fact that to finish the screening
procedure. You will need to have a
colonoscopy if the test result is positive or
abnormal.
The Importance of Nutrition During
Pregnancy
The surroundings and behaviors of a
pregnant woman, such as whether or not
she consumes nutritious food, have the
potential to alter the epigenetics of the
developing kid. Some of these changes
may last for decades, which may increase
the likelihood that the kid will develop
certain illnesses later in life.
Example: Dutch Hunger Winter Famine
(1944-1945)
14. People whose mothers were pregnant with
them during the famine had a higher risk of
developing various ailments, including
heart disease, schizophrenia, and type 2
diabetes. These diseases were more
common in those people. Researchers
examined the levels of methylation in
individuals whose mothers were pregnant
with them during the famine. This study was
conducted around sixty years after the crisis
ended. In comparison to their siblings who
were not subjected to hunger before their
birth, these individuals showed increased
methylation at some genes and reduced
methylation at other genes. These
variations in methylation might help explain
why these individuals had a higher risk of
developing certain illnesses later in life.
Conclusions
15. Epigenetics is an exciting and relatively new
field that already provides important
insights into complex biological processes.
While much work still needs to be done to
fully understand the role of epigenetics in
human health and disease, the potential
implications are profound. Epigenetic
changes can pass down from one
generation to the next, meaning that the
health of future generations may be
influenced by epigenetic changes that occur
today. As we learn more about epigenetics,
we may be able to identify new ways to
prevent or treat disease, and ultimately
improve the health of our children and
grandchildren. And now, you can trace your
family’s health at home with HealthCodes
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