Although identical twins are genetically identical, they can develop different personalities and health conditions when raised in different environments. This is because epigenetic changes affect gene expression, and understanding these changes can play an important role in treating diseases and improving the species.
Identical twins are genetically identical unless mutations have occurred. But are they the same if they are raised in different environments? Not necessarily. Depending on the environment, one of the twins could be taller, or their personalities could be completely different. It’s also possible that only one of them will get a disease like cancer. Why would this be, when they were obviously born to the same parents, and even from the same egg and sperm. Could it be that the parent’s genes are not passed on properly to the identical twin? Richard C. Francis would say that this is “half right and half wrong”.
Twin studies have long been an important tool for understanding the interaction between genetics and the environment. These studies have shown that genes don’t determine everything, and that environmental factors can have a strong influence on biological expression. For example, people with certain genes may face a greater risk of disease when exposed to certain environments. This interaction between genetics and environment requires an understanding of how genes are expressed, not just what they are.
Biological inheritance is the transmission of traits from parents to their offspring. In other words, genes are determined at the time of fertilization and are not influenced by the environment afterward. However, Richard C. Francis has a slightly different view of biological inheritance. Unlike classical inheritance, genes continue to change after fertilization and even after birth. Or, more precisely, the genes themselves do not change, but their expression does. This is why the example above is “half right, half wrong”.
Modern genetics no longer views genes as mere biological code. Gene expression can fluctuate depending on the cell’s microenvironment, nutritional status, stress levels, and even an individual’s lifestyle. These changes in gene expression accumulate over a lifetime and can even affect future generations. This is especially true in the field of epigenetics.
For example, generations born during the famine in the Netherlands were vulnerable to a number of diseases, including obesity and heart disease. But there was nothing wrong with their genes. Another example is calf specification technology that utilizes the metabolic imprinting effect. Metabolic imprinting is a phenomenon in which nutritional or hormonal changes during early life permanently affect an organism’s physiological metabolism. In specification technology, nutritional stimulation during a specific period of early life can lead to the development of certain parts of the calf, such as the development of certain parts of the body, to produce higher quality meat at an earlier age.
These epigenetic mechanisms also play an important role in human disease. Chronic diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and heart disease are not just genetically predisposed, but are closely related to an individual’s early life experiences, nutritional status, and stress. In particular, mental factors such as stress can promote epigenetic changes that regulate gene expression. This suggests that in addition to the genetic information parents pass on to their children, their lifestyles can also influence their children’s health.
Using these examples, Richard C. Francis argues that epigenetic approaches can be used to cure diseases and improve species, among other benefits. I think he has a point, but I don’t think epigenetics is the only solution to the problem. Let’s look at an example from the book. The book discusses issues related to the mind, such as stress and lack of affection. Let’s take the example of gorillas. Gorillas that are separated from their parents at a young age are not socialized and have a poor sex life. Gorillas raised by humans are a little less socialized, but they have similar behavioral problems: they’re also quite inept at nurturing their offspring, especially females. In these gorillas, NGF in the hippocampus is altered, making them vulnerable to stress. NGF stands for Nerve Growth Factor, which regulates how and how fast nerves grow. “Richard C. Francis argues that parental neglect has an epigenetic effect.
This epigenetic effect cannot be ignored, not only in gorillas, but also in humans. Extreme stress or abuse experienced in infancy can lead to a number of mental problems in adulthood, including psychosis, anxiety disorders, depression, and more. These are not just psychological problems, but can be accompanied by biological changes, such as structural changes in the brain and imbalances in neurotransmitters. In this sense, epigenetics offers new possibilities for mental health research and treatment.
My question is, can these problems be explained by something other than epigenetics? Parental neglect has a lot to do with personality, socialization, etc. This doesn’t have to be an epigenetic approach, it can be a psychological approach. Dr. Vivan Gadsden and Dr. Aisha Ray from the University of Pennsylvania found that fathers who interacted with their children and were involved in their upbringing were more likely to have better intellectual abilities. While this isn’t necessarily the case, there are countless other similar examples of how good parenting leads to healthier, better children.
This psychological approach shows how important the emotional bond between parents and children is. However, it’s worth taking this a step further and considering that these psychological factors can cause actual physiological changes through gene expression. In other words, psychology and epigenetics are not opposing fields, but rather complementary. From an epigenetic perspective, we can see that psychological stress and emotional experiences can directly affect gene expression, which can play an important role in long-term health.
There’s another way to explain this, too. This is trauma theory. Children who have been neglected or abused are more likely to suffer from physical and emotional disturbances. When they grow up, they”re said to have personality disorders that make it difficult for them to relate to others. This suggests that their childhood experiences of neglect and abuse may be traumatizing, making it difficult for them to parent properly when they marry and have children.
Trauma theory can be particularly closely linked to epigenetics. Psychological trauma in childhood can cause more than just mental distress; it can also lead to physiological changes, especially in the development of the brain. This can lead to problems in adulthood, such as difficulty regulating emotions, overreacting to stress, and more. These epigenetic changes can also affect their children, which provides an important clue to explaining the psychological and physiological scars that are passed down through the generations.
Another example from the book is cancer. The book explains the development of cancer in Tezmeynia Devil as an epigenetic cause. Cancer is basically tissue that is different from our own body, which means it is foreign. Our bodies naturally mount an immune response to foreign substances. However, in the case of Tezmainia devil’s cancer, this immune response is not triggered. This is because Tezmainia devil’s cancer affects the recognition phase of the immune system, disabling the cells that recognize foreign cancer cells.
This mechanism of immune evasion is a very important topic in cancer research. The study of how cancer cells are able to evade the immune system’s surveillance provides important information for the development of immunotherapies. Cancer is the product of complex interactions between genes and the environment, and epigenetic changes can play an important role in these interactions. Epigenetic alterations often induce changes in gene expression that cancer cells need to grow and spread. This process can be triggered by environmental factors, stress, and even certain drugs.
But did we really need to explain this in terms of epigenetics? Of course, it’s true that cancer affects Tezmainia devil’s genes. However, I wondered if this could have been explained by a reaction between magnetic and non-magnetic, or by the body’s response to chemicals or other stimuli, rather than epigenetics. What if the immune system is suppressed for reasons other than genetics? Even if it doesn’t mean directly destroying the immune system, such as AIDS, which destroys white blood cells, I think it is an effective approach to look at it from a different perspective.
Cancer research requires a multidisciplinary approach. In addition to genetic factors, environmental, epigenetic, and immunologic factors all interact to influence the development and progression of cancer. To understand immune evasion, we need to consider the complex interplay of epigenetic changes, environmental factors, and the immune system, not just genetics.
The stability of epigenetics is also an issue to consider. One of the main concepts in epigenetics is methylation (the attachment of methyl groups to genes) and demethylation (the opposite of methylation). It is argued that this methylation can be reversed at any time. It is also argued that epigenetics does not involve the genes themselves, but rather regulates the expression of the genes, so it is unlikely to be passed on from parent to child. However, in the example of the Dutch famine mentioned earlier, the effects of the famine experienced by the grandmother’s generation were passed on to the grandchildren. The grandchildren had higher rates of obesity and adult diseases than those who did not live through the famine. This raises the question of whether epigenetic approaches are safe.
The fact that epigenetic changes can be transmitted across generations calls for caution in the application of this science. Epigenetic modifications can potentially affect health across generations, which can have both positive and negative consequences. Therefore, any treatment or intervention that utilizes epigenetics will need to be carefully weighed against the potential risks and fully reflect ethical considerations.
Epigenetics is a field that is still in its infancy. In fact, it’s too early to tell if it’s practical or effective. However, I would like to see us focus on the study of epigenetics itself, rather than thinking about possible treatments or approaches. I would like to see epigenetics become more established before we start talking about practical applications.
The future of epigenetics is bright. It can provide new insights into human health and disease, and it can play an important role in the development of personalized therapies. But despite these possibilities, epigenetics research still faces many challenges. While we recognize the potential of this field, it is important to ensure that research is done thoroughly. As we deepen our understanding of how epigenetics affects human health, we will be able to put this science into practice in safer and more effective ways.
