Science
Worm experiments reveal how epigenetic effects persist across generations
Every cell in an organism contains the same DNA, which carries all the instructions needed for it to function. Yet cells do not all use the same genes: A nerve cell, for example, does not activate the same genes as a muscle cell.
Summary
Every cell in an organism contains the same DNA, which carries all the instructions needed for it to function. Yet cells do not all use the same genes: A nerve cell, for example, does not activate the same genes as a muscle cell. Epigenetics refers to the mechanisms that allow gene activity to be modulated without changing the DNA sequence. These mechanisms involve, among other things, subtle and reversible modifications to the proteins that package and organize DNA.
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