Epigenome

IDENTICAL TWINS: PINPOINTING ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ON THE EPIGENOME
 
  1. Often, the physical characteristics of genetically identical twins become increasingly different as they age, even at the molecular level. Explain why this is so. (use the terms "environment" and "epigenome")
A: Even though identical twins are identical, their experiences in their epigenome are the same and their environment changes as they grow up.
  2. Name 3-4 environmental factors that influence the epigenome.
A: Diet, physical activity, exposure to toxins ,and stress.
  3. What is an imprinted gene?
 A: An epigenomic tag that was not cleared to a blank state.

YOUR ENVIRONMENT, YOUR EPIGENOME
 
1. Discuss factors in your daily life (ie. Diet, exercise, stress etc.) that could be affecting your epigenome
A: Parents' diet, my diet, my physical activity habits, parents' physical activity habits, non-smoking parents, lightly drinking parents. 
 
LICK YOUR RATS
 
  1. Explain how a high-nurturing mother rat shapes her pup's epigenome, and what that pup's response to stress will be.
A: Licking the pup will activate it's GR gene which helps to lower stress.
  2. In rats, does licking by the mother activate, or deactivate her pup's GR gene?
A: Activate
  3. Explain how cortisol and the GR protein work together in the brain to relax a rat pup. You may draw a diagram.
A: Cortisol and GR protien work together because during the fight or flight situation cortisol is released and binds to the GR protien that then releases a calming signal.
  4. The rat nurturing example shows us how parental behavior can shape the behavior of their offspring on a biochemical level. Relate this to humans and think about the personal and social implications. Record your thoughts.
A: How much your mother shows that she is there for a child allows said child to become able to calm down faster and be able to talk to it's mother.
 
NUTRITION & THE EPIGENOME
 
  1. Explain how the food we eat affects gene expression.
A: Nutrients from our food are turned into methyl groups and these methyl groups can harm or help us.
  2. Can the diets of parents affect their offspring's
A: Certainly, if you take rats, one fat mother and one normal mother were fed differently, the fat mother got a healthy diet and the normal mother was fed fat rich diet and the fat mother's kid was fat and the skinny mother's kid was normal.
 
EPIGENETICS & THE HUMAN BRAIN
 
1. How does Dietary methyl influence gene expression?
A: Dietary methyl can influence gene expression because the brain would send signals to the body based on how healthy the food is for your body and the epigenome will add tags according to the signals that it receives from the brain and depending on how you eat a faster metabolism gene might be in your future.
2.  Why do Toxins  affect gene methylation?
A: Toxins can change gene expression because if a parent smokes, the child will keep the genetic experiences of smoking and it might change the appearance of the child or coil genes where they normally would be coiled, or relax a gene that would not normally be able to be relaxed or read.