Article by
It has been known for a long time that morphology such as height, the color of eyes and hair, and other traits such as behaviors and psychology is determined by the genes that an individual inherits from his parents. Most of this understanding of genetic inheritance was greatly expanded by Gregor Mendel. Expression of the genes inherited in the same way as its parents meant that it was always present in the nature of that individual which was bound to happen at a set time. This was one way of understanding the expression of characteristics in the individuals. But we have seen the identical twins being different from one another because of different expressions of genes present in their DNA and we now know that the expression of the behaviors and traits in humans and animals are influenced by both their genetic makeup and the environment in which they are living and the conditions they are facing. In other words, it’s also the nurturing of that individual which is affecting the characteristics, it shows.
A new branch of science called "epigenetics" demonstrates how environmental factors, such as childhood experiences, truly change how genes are expressed. The DNA that makes up our genes develops chemical stains during development that control how much or little of the gene is produced. The "epigenome" is a group of chemical identifiers. Children's varied experiences cause those chemical traces to change. This explains how genetically identical twins can have disparate behaviors, abilities, states of health, and levels of success. Epigenetics explains how the environment such as stress, environmental pollutants, and diet influences our DNA, the synthesis of proteins, and ultimately how a cell acts. An epigenetic alteration embellishes the DNA building blocks as opposed to a hereditary mutation, which alters or adds DNA building blocks. And if they occur early in development, these ornaments may have a tremendous impact on a person's course in life. For this reason, it is essential to give young children nurturing and supportive experiences from an early age. Services like support for new parents and carers, high-quality healthcare for all pregnant women, infants, and toddlers, and other similar programs can change the chemistry surrounding children's DNA.
According to research, stress and other harmful factors may change the epigenetic patterns within our cells, causing long-term damage. Michael Meaney's team at McGill University has produced some of the strongest evidence for this connection. Meaney and his associates began a study in the 1990s to find out how stress affects rats. Rodents produced hormones that elevated their heart rates when they were placed in a tiny plastic box because the rats became worried. The stress caused different reactions in different animals. It came out that the rats who produced higher stress hormones had received less licking from their moms when they were young. In collaboration with geneticist Moshe Szyf from McGill, Meaney looked at the physical variations that animals with more or less licking produced. Meaney and Szyf meticulously examined the methylation of neurons in the hippocampus, a part of the brain that is known to play a role in mammalian stress regulation. They discovered comparatively little methylation at the stress-hormone receptor gene in rats that are frequently licked. When rats are lightly licked, there is significantly more methylation. When mothers lick their pups, Meaney and Szyf hypothesized, the encounter changes the neurons in the hippocampus: Some of the methylation surrounding the receptor gene is removed. The gene becomes more active once it is unmethylated, and the neurons produce more receptors as a result. These neurons consequently grow more sensitive to stress in the well-licked pups and can control it more successfully. Rats with insufficient licking grow fewer receptors. They become stressed in the end. Rats and people are both mammals, so it stands to reason that a child's upbringing and the environment in which it is living could cause long-term changes in its stress levels. Meaney and his colleagues examined brain tissue from human cadavers in a brief but intriguing investigation. They chose twelve persons who had passed away naturally, twelve people who had killed themselves, and another twelve people who had killed themselves after having been abused as youngsters. They discovered that, similar to the under-licked rats, persons who had experienced child maltreatment had relatively more methyl groups surrounding their receptor genes in their brains. The neurons of child abuse victims also had fewer receptors for stress chemicals, just as those rats had fewer of them generated. It's possible that the mistreatment of the youngster resulted in epigenetic changes that affected adult emotions and eventually got out of control into suicidal tendencies.
This implies that the old concept that genes are "set in stone" has been discredited. The debate over nature vs nurture is already over. It's almost both that play their roles. Children's development is guided by the DNA they receive from their biological parents. For instance, how tall they might grow to be or what kind of temperament they might have. Experiences during development can alter whether and how genes release the information they carry by changing the epigenetic markers that control gene expression.
According to UNICEF, nearly 10 million children in Pakistan suffer from stunting which is the impaired growth and development that children experience from poor nutrition, repeated infection, and inadequate psychosocial stimulation. This tells that along with other factors Epigenetics can also be affected by the nutritional behavior of the individuals and their parents. The type of food also has its effect differently as anything you eat can change a cell's epigenome. Joss-Moore, Assistant Professor of Nutrition and Integrative Physiology mentions that there is evidence linking maternal folate consumption during pregnancy to the fetus's brain development. Folate is a nutrient that is recommended for mothers to eat more of because it is a component of DNA. Rapidly reproducing cells, which are prevalent in developing fetuses and babies, depend on this DNA synthesis to function. A child's chances of developing developmental abnormalities such as congenital heart disease and neural tube defects that lead to mental retardation increase if they don't get enough folate. Since the United States Food and Drug Administration asked food to be fortified with folate in 1998, the occurrence of neural tube abnormalities has decreased by 25 to 30 percent, and some people claim that adding more folate could further lower the issue. The primary benefit of folate, also known as folic acid, is thought to be the stimulation of DNA synthesis; nevertheless, the substance can also promote methylation, an epigenetic change.
Both good experiences such as loving and supportive relationships and negative influences, such as toxins in the environment or stressful life conditions, and bad nutrition on the part of an individual and his mother when she was pregnant can have an impact on the epigenome of that individual. Each of these experiences leaves a distinct epigenetic "signature" on the genes. The ease with which the genes are turned on or off can vary depending on whether these markers are temporary or permanent. Recent studies suggest that there could be ways to undo some undesirable modifications and bring about good functioning. To build healthy brains from the start, the ideal approach is to foster responsive bonds and manage stress. In contrast to inherited mutations, which change or add DNA building blocks, epigenetic changes amplify the DNA building blocks. These things may significantly affect a person's trajectory in life if they take place early in development. It is no longer accepted that genes are "set in stone." Nature vs nurture is now a settled issue and it has been proved that both actors perform their parts.
___________________________________________________________
References
Monthly "Azeem English Magazine", launched in 2000, records the information about diverse fields like mental health, literature, research, science, and art. The magazine's objective is to impart social, cultural, and literary values to society.
+92 51 88 93 092
First Floor, RAS Arcade, Eidhi Market, Street#124, G-13/4, Islamabad, Pakistan, 44000.
.jpg)
