epigenetic

[ep-i-juh-net-ik]

adjective

1. Biology.,  of or relating to epigenesis, or the successive differentiation of undifferentiated cells in an embryo.

2. Genetics.,  noting or pertaining to epigenetics, specifically, the process by which the expression of genetic information is modified on a molecular level without a change to the DNA sequence.

   the epigenetic inheritance of longevity.

epigenetic

/ ˌɛpɪdʒɪˈnɛtɪk /

adjective

1. of or relating to epigenesis

2. denoting processes by which heritable modifications in gene function occur without a change in the sequence of the DNA

Other Word Forms

• epigenetically adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of epigenetic¹

epi- + genetic

Example Sentences

When tuft cell lung cancer was first identified in 2018, he and his colleagues were searching for epigenetic influences that promote tumor growth.

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Consistent exercise improved gut bacteria, boosted antioxidant defenses, and reversed age-related changes in T cells by stabilizing DNA and adjusting epigenetic marks such as reducing ETS1 expression.

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The scientists found that epigenetic changes in cancer cells alter how DNA is "read" to produce RNA, which carries the instructions for making proteins.

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To that point, racial battle fatigue has been shown to lead to premature aging through epigenetic processes.

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In one chapter, Pember explores epigenetic research into trauma, the hypothesis that trauma responses might be inherited even without changes in the DNA sequence.

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