What is the difference between epigenetic and genetic

Understanding the mechanisms involved in the initiation, maintenance, and heritability of epigenetic states is an important aspect of research in current biology. In mammals, epigenetic marks are erased during two phases of the life cycle. Firstly just after fertilization and secondly, in the developing primordial germ cells, the precursors to future gametes. Epigenetic regulation of gene expression is a common process that acts during the differentiation of somatic cells, as well as in response to environmental cues and stresses, and the passing on of these modulations to the offspring constitutes epigenetic inheritance.

Epigenetic modifications can manifest as commonly as the manner in which cells terminally differentiate to end up as skin cells, liver cells, brain cells, etc. Difference Between Genetics and Epigenetics Matthew Goodwin. Yet No Comments. Difference Between Inspiron and Studio Dell.

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Privacy Statement. Non-Discrimination Notice. All rights reserved. Skip Navigation. I Want To I Want to Find Research Faculty Enter the last name, specialty or keyword for your search below. Apply for Admission M. Epigenetics and Genetics. Srinivasan Yegnasubramanian. He described such inheritance occurred through the passing of a particular set of units of inheritance from one generation to the next.

Mendel used garden pea plants to describe these phenomena. In the modern world, the unit of inheritance is referred to as a gene. Genes are present in the chromosomes of an organism. A chromosome is composed of both DNA and protein. In the past, scientists could not differentiate the molecule of inheritance between DNA and protein present in the chromosome.

But later on, with different experiments performed by scientists, it was confirmed that the DNA is the molecule which is responsible for inheritance. Therefore, genetic information to be passed from one generation to the next is stored within the molecules of DNA. With the development of technology, modern genetics has spread its wings to study the structure and functioning of genes at its molecular level, the behavioral patterns of genes within a particular organism and gene variation and distribution within a population based on the primary principles of genetics: the trait inheritance and the molecular inheritance mechanisms of genes.

Epigenetics is the alteration in heritable traits in gene expression which does not involve the changes of the DNA sequence. In other words, it is the change in the phenotype without changing the genotype.

Repressor proteins which are attached to the silencer regions of the DNA control gene expression. Epigenetics takes place naturally and regularly, but it can be caused by external and internal environment, age and diseased conditions. Other epigenetic processes may include paramutation, X chromosome inactivation, imprinting, bookmarking and cloning. DNA damage may also cause epigenetic alterations. The changes occurring in epigenetics persist through cell divisions in the duration of the life span of the cell, or it can remain for many generations without involving in the changes in the DNA sequence; the monogenetic factors may help the genes of an organism to behave differently.

An example of epigenetic alteration is the cellular differentiation process. The changes in epigenetics cause the modification of genes, but not the nucleotide sequence of DNA. These changes may transmit from generation to generation through a process called transgenerational epigenetic inheritance.