epigenetics

English

WOTD – 24 January 2006

Etymology

Blend of epigenesis +‎ genetics; coined by C. H. Waddington in 1942.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˌɛpɪd͡ʒəˈnɛtɪks/
    • Audio (Southern England):(file)

Noun

epigenetics (uncountable)

  1. (genetics) The study of the processes involved in the genetic development of an organism, especially the activation and deactivation of genes.
    • 2010 November 6, “Sins of the Fathers”, in New Scientist:
      Epigenetics deals with the regulation of genetic activity within a cell - which genes are switched on or off, and when it happens.
    • 2023, Robert M. Sapolsky, Determined: A Science of Life Without Free Will, New York: Penguin, →ISBN:
      The nuts and bolts of how this happens revolves around the massively trendy field of “epigenetics,” revealing how early life experience causes long-lasting changes in gene expression in particular brain regions.
  2. (genetics) The study of heritable changes caused by the activation and deactivation of genes without any change in DNA sequence.

Coordinate terms

Derived terms

Translations

See also

Further reading

This article is issued from Wiktionary. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.