Epigenetic

[Saskia L]

Basically Epigenetic studies how environmental factors can modify the DNA. The fascinating part of it is to study how experiences can actually not only have effects on our health and psychological well being  but on our children's health and psychological well being as well. Stress, depression, negative life experiences will have deep effects on our DNA and will actually keep harming the next generation... The positive points is that DNA can be fixed, simply by solving the issues...
https://bscb.org/learning-resources/softcell-e-learning/epigenetics-its-not-just-genes-that-make-us/ for example as it is quite a simple article...

''Even more surprisingly, some data seems to suggest that grandchildren of women who were pregnant during the Hunger Winter experience some of these effects. From what we have already discussed, this strongly suggests an epigenetic mechanism. In fact, research with the Dutch Hunger Winter families continues, and a recent study looking at a gene galled IGF2 found lower levels of the methyl tag in the DNA of this gene in individuals exposed to the famine before birth. Although IGF2 may not itself be involved in the increased risk of poor health in these people, it shows that epigenetic effects (i.e. reduction of the number of methyl tags on particular genes) that are produced before birth can last for many decades. Studies in animals have also found that the diet of the mother can have effects on her offspring. For example, feeding sheep a diet lacking the types of food required to make methyl groups leads to offspring with altered patterns of DNA methylation and which have higher than expected rates of certain health problems.''

[AnsleyL]

That flies in the face of the evolution.. isn't that the LaMarckian debate?  that environment has no effect on evolution.. its just random mutations and the creature that is born with the random mutation that SUITS the environment best carries on its DNA while others die ouT?

[Saskia L]

the discoveries in epigenetic are rewriting the rules of identity and heredity - also diseases.

the first experience was with agouti mice. They're yellow, fat and prone to diabetes and cancer. In this experiment they changed the mother diet, and the offsprings were slim, brownish and not as prone to cancer and diabetes. That has been achieved only by changing the diet of the mother not by altering the DNA of the mice.

Also epigenetic proved that our DNA can modify itself all along life, depending on our environment. Our DNA is not set in stone.

An other point that I found extremely interesting is that our experiences are also transmitted to the next generation. One example was a woman raped by a member of her family, having the child  from the rape. Analyzing the  DNA of the raped woman, her mother and her child, the researchers found ''scars'' from the trauma on certain genes, the grand mother and the mother had them, but the most surprising thing is that the child who didn't knew about the rape had the biggest genetic scar.

Therefor our own attitude toward life and negativity will affect our DNA and our offsprings DNA.


I am just starting to look into that field, it is very recent, it is absolutely fascinating, how malleable is our DNA and how everything we do, everything we experience is actually modifying it.