State-of-the-art comet images
S. cerevisiae chromatin fibers
MNase sensitivity assay
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ABSTRACT
Genetics has long been accepted as a deterministic factor that shapes our psychosomatic features and characteristics. But recent data show that genes are not our destiny and we are the masters of our heredity. Unmistakably, modern genetics proves the fact that by the way we eat, the way we breathe and treat ourselves, we regulate the activity of our genes and their outcomes. New genetic data link education, intelligence, food, and lifestyle as powerful factors that shape our genes. By inducing chemical modifications on the molecule of DNA and the proteins that organize it in the nucleus, factors like stress, lack of physical activity, and chronic illness change the way genes work. The science that studies the molecular mechanisms by which the environment inherently drives the work of our genes is called epigenetics. Epigenetic inheritance, just like genetic inheritance, goes beyond our time and is transmitted to our descendants. Here, we summarize one of the most canonical mechanisms of epigenetics, and link it with certain types of human metabolism, disease, and psychosomatics. The bond between our lifestyle and the choices we make in our daily life with the way genes work is as dominant as genetics per se. Epigenetics holds the key to a healthier and smarter way of living.
Български
