We all think that a boss can do anything that he wants and he lives on
his own rules. But that is certainly wrong. A boss also has a set of rules
which he has to follow. He has his own conscience that tells him what's right
and what's wrong. This conscience is Boss of the Boss.
My Boss (DNA) also has a boss. Here I am not talking about DNA's
conscience but I am talking about epigenome. This epigenome governs DNA. To
talk in scientific terms, epigenome is a network of chemical compounds
surrounding DNA that modify the genome without altering the DNA sequences and
have a role in determining which genes are active in particular cell.
Have you ever thought, if the DNA in each cell of an individual is same
then why do we still have so many different kinds of cells? If the governing
body is same then shouldn't all cells be the same? This is definitely not the
case. The answer to this is epigenome. This epigenome or tiny little molecules
make a big difference to the way DNA or genes are expressed. It has the power to
switch on and off genes. Power to rule DNA.
The idea that nurture modifies one's own nature has been around forever.
Epigenetics provides an understanding of how that actually
occurs. Nurturing a young one causes changes in the epigenome, leading
to actual change in gene expression. For e.g. if rat pups are not licked by
their mother then at adulthood they may face stress issues while in the
other case pups are healthy throughout their life. It also gives an explanation to, why identical
twins have behaviours that are different from each other.
Epigenetics has opened a new world which is yet to be explored!
