# What is Epigenetics? - Author: **CDC** - Document Tags: [[epigenetics]] - [URL link](https://www.cdc.gov/genomics/disease/epigenetics.htm)  ## Highlights - Epigenetics is the study of how your behaviors and environment can cause changes that affect the way your genes work. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01hgyyasz0v4nm5d4qw8hdew1n)) --- - DNA Methylation ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01hgyyb5m8k8rqvmtdyn5bsng4)) --- - Histone modification ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01hgyycpq2k2h9tgnzxexqbz0t)) --- - Non-coding RNA ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01hgyycwsgmqy0wa009e3rv09m)) --- - Epigenetics allows the muscle cell to turn “on” genes to make proteins important for its job and turn “off” genes important for a nerve cell’s job. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01hgyye09r4sxppw8dq9w9awjr)) --- - Your epigenetics change throughout your life. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01hgyye98pynqybkx9j9z82rbz)) --- - Not all epigenetic changes are permanent. Some epigenetic changes can be added or removed in response to changes in behavior or environment. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01hgyyevzhf3wqqdn02vh5wqyz)) --- - Germs can change your epigenetics to weaken your immune system. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01hgyyh42seme0yn0w9dg4qxgh)) --- - Turning “off” the *IL-12B* gene weakens your immune system and improves the survival of *Mycobacterium tuberculosis* ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01hgyygyvnrwvjtx2eqgtyf4g1)) --- - A pregnant woman’s environment and behavior during pregnancy, such as whether she eats healthy food, can change the baby’s epigenetics. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01hgyyhhg2r8hdghd4jv2680s8)) --- - Around 60 years after the famine, researchers looked at methylation levels in people whose mothers were pregnant with them during the famine. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01hj9g0a2sjcy52z44kjjehfjh)) --- --- aliases: - What is epigenetics? Author: medlineplus.gov FullTitle: "What is epigenetics?" ShortTitle: "What is epigenetics?" Resource-Source: reader DocumentCategory: articles Resource-Tags: [epigenetics] URL: https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/understanding/howgeneswork/epigenome/ URLofImage: https://medlineplus.gov/images/GenesWork_Share.jpg Resource-Type: articles --- # What is epigenetics? - Author: **medlineplus.gov** - Document Tags: [[epigenetics]] - [URL link](https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/understanding/howgeneswork/epigenome/)  ## Highlights - Epigenetics is the study of how cells control gene activity without changing the DNA sequence ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01hgyykbag5ryqd4j8h9wvftpw)) --- - they influence the production of proteins in cells. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01hj9g0ye703r4ydp8p2hjnsd1)) --- - A common type of epigenetic modification is called DNA methylation. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01hj9g1ck30qgf0bn52ccky16p)) --- - When methyl groups are present on a gene, that gene is turned off or silenced, and no protein is produced from that gene. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01hj9g1n8z3pe7xqpgtamc69sr)) --- - Another common epigenetic change is histone modification. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01hj9g1t289x6q1kyanfd5c309)) --- - The National Institutes of Health (NIH) offers the [NIH Roadmap Epigenomics Project](http://www.roadmapepigenomics.org/), which provides epigenome maps of a variety of cells to begin to assess the relationship between epigenomics and human disease. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01hj9g2pshwf11ycfk73avrhb8)) ---