Epigenetic

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Epigenetic

Epigenetic (/ˌɛpɪdʒɪˈnɛtɪk/; from the Greek epi meaning "over, above, outer") refers to changes in gene expression or cellular phenotype that do not involve alterations to the underlying DNA sequence.

Etymology

The term "epigenetic" has its roots in Greek, with "epi-" meaning "over, above, outer", and "-genetic" referring to genes or origin. It was first coined by Conrad Waddington in 1942 to describe the interactions of genes with their environment, which bring the phenotype into being.

Related Terms

  • DNA Methylation: A biochemical process that plays a crucial role in the function of the genome and the development of an organism. It is one of the most important epigenetic mechanisms.
  • Histone Modification: A covalent post-translational modification to histone proteins which includes methylation, phosphorylation, acetylation, ubiquitylation, and sumoylation. The modifications can alter the expression of genes in the cell.
  • Chromatin Remodeling: The dynamic modification of chromatin architecture to allow access of condensed genomic DNA to the regulatory transcription machinery proteins, and thereby control gene expression.
  • Genomic Imprinting: An epigenetic phenomenon that causes genes to be expressed in a parent-of-origin-specific manner.
  • Non-coding RNA molecules: RNA molecules that do not code for protein sequences but have roles in regulating gene expression.

See Also

External links

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