Epigenetics is the study of how your behaviors and environment can cause changes that affect the way your genes work. Epigenetic changes are reversible and do not change your DNA sequence. However, such changes can alter how the body reads a DNA sequence. While genetic changes can alter which protein is made, epigenetic changes affect gene. While genetic changes can alter which protein is made, epigenetic changes affect gene expression to turn genes “on” and “off. The environment and behaviors such as diet and exercise, can result in epigenetic changes, it is easy to see the connection between your genes and your behaviors and environment.

There are different types of epigenetic changes. The first one is DNA methylation, which works by adding a chemical group to DNA. Typically, this group is added to specific places on the DNA, where it blocks the proteins that attach to DNA to “read” the gene. This chemical group can be removed through a process called demethylation. Methylation turns genes “off” and demethylation turns genes “on.”

The second type is Histone modification. When histones are tightly packed together, proteins that ‘read’ the gene cannot access the DNA as easily, so the gene is turned off. When histones are loosely packed, more DNA is exposed around a histone and can be accessed by proteins that ‘read’ the gene this turns the gene on. Chemical groups can be added or removed from histones to make the histones more tightly or loosely packed, turning genes “off” or “on.”

The third type is Non-coding RNA. DNA is used as instructions for making coding and non-coding RNA. Coding RNA makes proteins while non-coding RNA control gene expression by attaching to coding RNA. Non-coding RNA may also recruit proteins to modify histones to turn genes “on” or “off.”

MLA Format