More science - epigenetics

[marshlander]

Never heard of epigenetics before. Isn't learning fun!

[TimmyThink]

I would just like to say that I called that black shirt was gay before the voice guy said it, like Charlie Sheen I'm winning. :biggrin:

[Wintereis]

Nice, thanks Marshlander. Just don't confuse theory with proof. We haven't gotten their yet, but I think we will!

[Glaedr]

Just to keep everyone's mind thinking, this is a very complex mechanism they are suggesting, and is about one in a million possibilities we know of (maybe more).
for instance, testosterone is not the only hormone that develops our brain.
Also, methylation is one of many mechanisms a cell has for activating a gene/deactivating a gene. It can also be done by acetylation, condensing, and supercoiling just to name a few. The evidence to suport a claim like this is extremely extensive and is probably the main reason no one has figure it out yet.

However, the statistical study of twins is fairly accurate and can lead to quite a few good corelations.

Food for thoughtmile:

[fredv3b]

I found that clip rather irritating in the manner which it over sold what it was suggesting.

It seemed to suggest that identical twins raised together have identical environmental influences, certainly they are similar. As soon as kids develop different personalities parents can't treat them identically. Random chance and different friendship groups mean they will have different psychologically important childhood events.

What parts of the brain govern sexual attraction is very poorly understood. Although it did mention at one point insufficient masculinisation of the brain as a cause of male homosexuality, at other points it implied it had been demonstrated to be the case, it has not.

The whole piece mis-stated what epigenetics was. It correctly stated that it was a set of mechanisms by which gene expression is regulated and is influenced by the environment. However there are very many mechanisms that control gene expression, most of which are in some way influenced by the environment. (This allows an organism to activate genes that will help it deal with it's current environmental challenges.) What is special about epigenetics, is these are inherited. The question the clip never asked is supposing, epigenetic gene regulation was the cause of one twin's homosexuality, why did the other not inherit the same epigenetic information?

[OrphanPip]

The whole piece mis-stated what epigenetics was. It correctly stated that it was a set of mechanisms by which gene expression is regulated and is influenced by the environment. However there are very many mechanisms that control gene expression, most of which are in some way influenced by the environment. (This allows an organism to activate genes that will help it deal with it's current environmental challenges.) What is special about epigenetics, is these are inherited. The question the clip never asked is supposing, epigenetic gene regulation was the cause of one twin's homosexuality, why did the other not inherit the same epigenetic information?

They're using the term epigenetics in the more general sense of the interaction between environment and genotype creating the phenotype. Rather than looking at heritable environmentally stimulated change.

Anyway I'm in a cafe at the moment and have to conserve my battery so I'll have to look at the video later.

[Genersis]

Maybe i should volunteer for this research eh?:tongue:

[fredv3b]

They're using the term epigenetics in the more general sense of the interaction between environment and genotype creating the phenotype. Rather than looking at heritable environmentally stimulated change.

If they use technical terms, they should use them correctly.

[marshlander]

In principle I agree, but bearing in mind Wintereis' admonishment to me in his earlier post, isn't this cut and thrust of discussion what happens when fields of knowledge are being explored? Also it certainly would not be the first time that science has been reinterpreted in order to try and explain a principle or, more mischievously, to score political points and manipulate opinion.