Related books on 'epigenetics'
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by: Richard C. Francis publisher: W. W. Norton & Company, published: 2011-06-13 ASIN: 0393070050 EAN: 9780393070057 sales rank: 31568 Time to worry again—our lifestyle choices do impact our genetic code and that of our children (and even grandchildren!). "The potential is staggering. . . . The age of epigenetics has arrived."—Time, January 2010Epigenetic means "on the gene," and the term refers to the recent discovery that stress in the environment can impact an individual's physiology so deeply that those biological scars are actually inherited by the next several generations. For instance, a recent study has shown that men who started smoking before puberty caused their sons to have significantly higher rates of obesity. And obesity is just the tip of the iceberg—many researchers believe that epigenetics holds the key to understanding cancer, Alzheimer's, schizophrenia, autism, and diabetes. Epigenetics is the first book for general readers on this fascinating and important topic. The book is driven by stories such as the Dutch famine of World War II, José Canseco and steroids, the breeding of mules and hinnies, Tazmanian devils and contagious cancer, and more. 18 illustrations |
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by: Richard C. Francis publisher: W. W. Norton & Company, published: 2012-06-04 ASIN: 039334228X EAN: 9780393342284 sales rank: 238920 Goodbye, genetic blueprint. . . . The first book for general readers on the game-changing field of epigenetics. The burgeoning new science of epigenetics offers a cornucopia of insights—some comforting, some frightening. For example, the male fetus may be especially vulnerable to certain common chemicals in our environment, in ways that damage not only his own sperm but also the sperm of his sons. And it’s epigenetics that causes identical twins to vary widely in their susceptibility to dementia and cancer. But here’s the good news: unlike mutations, epigenetic effects are reversible. Indeed, epigenetic engineering is the future of medicine. 18 illustrations |
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by: Nessa Carey publisher: Columbia University Press, published: 2012-03-06 ASIN: 0231161166 EAN: 9780231161169 sales rank: 80745 Epigenetics can potentially revolutionize our understanding of the structure and behavior of biological life on Earth. It explains why mapping an organism's genetic code is not enough to determine how it develops or acts and shows how nurture combines with nature to engineer biological diversity. Surveying the twenty-year history of the field while also highlighting its latest findings and innovations, this volume provides a readily understandable introduction to the foundations of epigenetics. Nessa Carey, a leading epigenetics researcher, connects the field's arguments to such diverse phenomena as how ants and queen bees control their colonies; why tortoiseshell cats are always female; why some plants need cold weather before they can flower; and how our bodies age and develop disease. Reaching beyond biology, epigenetics now informs work on drug addiction, the long-term effects of famine, and the physical and psychological consequences of childhood trauma. Carey concludes with a discussion of the future directions for this research and its ability to improve human health and well-being. |
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by: Eva Jablonka publisher: A Bradford Book, published: 2006-09-08 ASIN: 0262600692 EAN: 9780262600699 sales rank: 67443 Ideas about heredity and evolution are undergoing a revolutionary change. New findings in molecular biology challenge the gene-centered version of Darwinian theory according to which adaptation occurs only through natural selection of chance DNA variations. In Evolution in Four Dimensions, Eva Jablonka and Marion Lamb argue that there is more to heredity than genes. They trace four "dimensions" in evolution -- four inheritance systems that play a role in evolution: genetic, epigenetic (or non-DNA cellular transmission of traits), behavioral, and symbolic (transmission through language and other forms of symbolic communication). These systems, they argue, can all provide variations on which natural selection can act. Evolution in Four Dimensions offers a richer, more complex view of evolution than the gene-based, one-dimensional view held by many today. The new synthesis advanced by Jablonka and Lamb makes clear that induced and acquired changes also play a role in evolution.After discussing each of the four inheritance systems in detail, Jablonka and Lamb "put Humpty Dumpty together again" by showing how all of these systems interact. They consider how each may have originated and guided evolutionary history and they discuss the social and philosophical implications of the four-dimensional view of evolution. Each chapter ends with a dialogue in which the authors engage the contrarieties of the fictional (and skeptical) "I.M.," or Ifcha Mistabra -- Aramaic for "the opposite conjecture" -- refining their arguments against I.M.'s vigorous counterarguments. The lucid and accessible text is accompanied by artist-physician Anna Zeligowski's lively drawings, which humorously and effectively illustrate the authors' points. |
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by: C. David Allis publisher: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, published: 2007-10-31 ASIN: 0879698756 EAN: 9780879698751 sales rank: 321209 The regulation of gene expression in many biological processes involves epigenetic mechanisms. In this new volume, 24 chapters written by experts in the field discuss epigenetic effects from many perspectives. There are chapters on the basic molecular mechanisms underpinning epigenetic regulation, discussion of cellular processes that rely on this kind of regulation, and surveys of organisms in which it has been most studied. Thus, there are chapters on histone and DNA methylation, siRNAs and gene silencing; X-chromosome inactivation, dosage compensation and imprinting; and discussion of epigenetics in microbes, plants, insects, and mammals. The last part of the book looks at how epigenetic mechanisms act in cell division and differentiation, and how errors in these pathways contribute to cancer and other human diseases. Also discussed are consequences of epigenetics in attempts to clone animals. This book is a major resource for those working in the field, as well as being a suitable text for advanced undergraduate and graduate courses on gene regulation. |
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publisher: Academic Press, published: 2010-10-01 ASIN: 0123757096 EAN: 9780123757098 sales rank: 204433 Epigenetics is considered by many to be the "new genetics" because the realization that many biological phenomena are controlled not through gene mutations, but rather through reversible and heritable epigenetic processes that have opened up new paths for discovery. The biological processes impacted by epigenetics range from tissue/organ regeneration, X-chromosome inactivation, and stem cell differentiation to genomic imprinting and aging. The effects of epigenetics are vast and encompass lower organisms as well as humans. Aberrations of epigenetics influence many diseases involving but not limited to cancer, immune disorders, neurological and metabolic disorders, and imprinting diseases. Clinical intervention is already in place for some of these disorders and many novel epigenetic therapies are on the horizon. This comprehensive collection of reviews written by leaders in the field of epigenetics provides a broad view of this important and evolving topic. From molecular mechanisms and epigenetic technology to discoveries in human disease and clinical epigenetics the nature and applications of the science will be presented for those with interests ranging from the fundamental basis of epigenetics to therapeutic interventions for epigenetic-based disorders. * Contributions by leading international investigators involved in molecular research and clinical and therapeutic applications * Integrates methods and biological topics with basic and clinical discoveries * Includes coverage of new topics in epigenetics such as prions, regulation of long-term memory by epigenetics, metabolic aspects of epigenetics, and epigenetics of neuronal disorders |
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by: Judith Horstman publisher: Jossey-Bass, published: 2010-04-05 ASIN: 0470376244 EAN: 9780470376249 sales rank: 127438 This fascinating and highly accessible book presents fantastic but totally feasible projections of what your brain may be capable of in the near future. It shows how scientific breakthroughs and amazing research are turning science fiction into science fact. In this brave new book, you'll explore:
Judith Horstman presents a highly informative and entertaining look at the future of your brain, based on articles from Scientific American and Scientific American Mind magazines, and the work of today’s visionary neuroscientists. |
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publisher: University of California Press, published: 2011-04-11 ASIN: 0520267095 EAN: 9780520267091 sales rank: 240036 Illuminating the processes and patterns that link genotype to phenotype, epigenetics seeks to explain features, characters, and developmental mechanisms that can only be understood in terms of interactions that arise above the level of the gene. With chapters written by leading authorities, this volume offers a broad integrative survey of epigenetics. Approaching this complex subject from a variety of perspectives, it presents a broad, historically grounded view that demonstrates the utility of this approach for understanding complex biological systems in development, disease, and evolution. Chapters cover such topics as morphogenesis and organ formation, conceptual foundations, and cell differentiation, and together demonstrate that the integration of epigenetics into mainstream developmental biology is essential for answering fundamental questions about how phenotypic traits are produced. |
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by: Nessa Carey publisher: Icon Books, published: 2011-09-01 ASIN: 184831292X EAN: 9781848312920 sales rank: 875064 Just over a decade since Matt Ridley's seminal Genome, Nessa Carey presents a hugely compelling explanation of the very latest from the frontline of modern biology. How is it that, despite each cell in your body carrying exactly the same DNA, you don't have teeth growing out of your eyeballs or toenails on your liver? How can one blueprint lead to so many different results? It turns out that cells read the genetic code in DNA more like a script to be interpreted than a mould that replicates the same result each time. This is epigenetics and it's the fastest-moving field in modern biology. The Epigenetics Revolution traces the thrilling path this discipline has taken over the last twenty years. Biologist Nessa Carey deftly explains such diverse phenomena as how queen bees and ants control their colonies, why tortoiseshell cats are always female, why some plants need a period of cold before they can flower, why we age, develop disease and become addicted to drugs, and much more. She concludes by investigating the amazing possibilities for the improvement of humankind that epigenetics offers for the surprisingly near future |
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by: George J. Febish publisher: Xlibris Corporation, published: 2011-08-30 ASIN: 1462847242 EAN: 9781462847242 sales rank: 1418448 |