ANTH 350 Lecture Notes - Lecture 12: Epigenome, Epigenetics, Jerky
Document Summary
Documentary ghost in your genes: humans have same number of genes as fish and mice. Human genomes is not as complex as plants. Same key genes that make fruit fly or mouse make humans. Angelman"s syndrome- jerky movement, no speech, mental incapacitation, uncharacteristically happy ==caused by genetic defect. Key sequence of dna deleted from chromosome 15. At same time, same deletion in gene prader willies syndrome. Two different diseases caused by same genetic abnormality. First human evidence that something other than genes passed between generations. Something that could switch genes on or off. Epigenetics: methyl molecule turns off agoty gene allows mice to feel satiated and full. Some attach to dna directly, some grab histomes and tighten or loosen to turn genes off or on. Epigenome phenomenon- skin, eyes, teeth, hair all have the same dna. As development unfolds, some switches turn on and some off. Some epigenetic switches can be manually flipped.
