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epigenetics

[ ep-i-juh-net-iks ]

noun

, (used with a singular verb)
  1. Genetics. the study of the process by which genetic information is translated into the substance and behavior of an organism: specifically, the study of the way in which the expression of heritable traits is modified by environmental influences or other mechanisms without a change to the DNA sequence.


epigenetics

/ ˌɛpɪdʒɪˈnɛtɪks /

noun

  1. the study of heritable changes that occur without a change in the DNA sequence
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

epigenetics

/ ĕp′ĭ-jə-nĕtĭks /

  1. The study of heritable changes in gene expression caused by factors such as DNA methylation rather than by a change in the sequence of base pairs in DNA itself.
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Word History and Origins

Origin of epigenetics1

Coined in 1942 by English biologist Conrad H. Waddington (1905–75); blend of epigenesis and genetics
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Example Sentences

Researchers at ETH Zurich have discovered a mechanism behind the yo-yo effect: fat cells have a memory that is based on epigenetics.

The mt-tsRNAs play a role in epigenetics, regulating gene expression in the early embryo: they can indirectly influence the development and health of the offspring by modifying the activity of certain genes in the mitochondria.

It also integrates 3D genomic data and epigenetics -- which measures how genes may be modified by environment to influence disease -- into its modeling.

The analyses built on the expertise in epigenetics of the Leibniz-IZW as well as on the long-term research on spotted hyenas in the Serengeti, which started in 1987.

"The potential role of environmental toxicants in influencing epigenetics and mast cell function is a complex and emerging area of research," they wrote.

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epigeneticepigenome