Epigenetics
This is the study of how your behaviors and environment can affect how your genes work without changing the DNA sequence itself.
What is Epigenetics?
Chromatin can be tightly packed in a form called heterochromatin, or loosely packed in this form.
What is Euchromatin?
Chromatin-remodeling complexes depend heavily on this specific type of cellular energy currency to function.
What is ATP?
Chemical marks are primarily added onto this specific region of a histone protein, pictured as extending outward from the core.
What is the histone tail?
Epigenetic changes act like these chemical mechanisms to turn specific genes ON or OFF.
What are switches?
Most epigenetic changes focus on this specific packing state because its tight structure can be altered by environmental factors.
What is heterochromatin?
Remodeling complexes loosen DNA around nucleosomes by catalyzing this specific physical action.
What is nucleosome sliding?
Adding this specific chemical group (Me) to histones results in a repressive state where transcription cannot occur.
What is the methylation?
The introductory graphic illustrates that behavioral and environmental changes are not just temporary, but can be passed down, meaning they are this.
What is heritable?
At its most fundamental level, the 11 nm "beads-on-a-string" form of chromatin consists of DNA wrapped around these structural units.
What are nucleosomes?
When chromatin remodeling complexes convert heterochromatin into a looser form, they ultimately allow these two sequential cellular processes to occur.
What are transcription and protein synthesis?
Adding this chemical group (Ac) to histones results in an active state where transcription can occur.
What is acetylation?
During this cellular phase, when transcription is turned "ON," crucial proteins like enzymes, antibodies, and transporters are actively produced.
What is interphase?
This is the physical width, in nanometers, of an entire mitotic chromosome when it is fully condensed.
When ATP is utilized by a remodeling complex to loosen DNA, it is broken down into this lower-energy molecule.
What are histone modifications?
These specialized molecular complexes can recognize modified histones and actively spread the modifications to neighboring nucleosomes.
What are reader-writer complexes?
During mitosis, the transcription of DNA is turned to this state.
What is OFF?
Tightly packed chromatin creates a major cellular problem because it directly inhibits this genetic process.
What is transcription?
When ATP is utilized by a remodeling complex to loosen DNA, it is broken down into this lower-energy molecule.
What is ADP?
The spreading of heterochromatin modifications by a reader-writer complex will continue along the chromatin fiber until it hits this obstacle.
What is a barrier DNA sequence?