What influence does it have on who you are?
There is evidence epigenetic changes are transmitted from parent to child during conception and pregnancy. Leading into the concept of inheritance. How the events of our lives could affect the development of our own children. Alongside this is how we have been impacted by our ancestors and their life experiences.
What we experience in our lifetime can modify our DNA, and its these changes that can be passed down through generations. It is epigenetics that facilitates this transfer/influence between generations, what can be referred to as ‘transgenerational’. Through the generations.
Epigenetics is defined as:
- the study of changes in organisms caused by modification of gene expression rather than alteration of the genetic code itself.
Our DNA is our unique song. The genome, the double helix DNA code unique to us. This ‘song’ remains constant.
Our epigenome (which sits in your cells with your genome) is a set of instructions that decides which bits of your DNA are activated, or which genes are switched on or off. We have many epigenomes as every different type of cell in the body has its own epigenome. These ‘audio engineers’ are fluid, changing as we develop. They impact upon our cells, how they function and our health overall.
“genes are the unique song of you,
but epigenomes decide how that music is played over generations”
Kylie Martin
Love the quote at the end 🙂