
Transgenerational epigenetics: it's not just genes that are inherited.
It has been clear for many years that we are not just genetic machines. Epigenetic changes - alterations to the chemical marks that accumulate around genes, regulating their 'switching on' (expression) and 'switching off' (silencing) - can be induced by environmental factors such as such as diet, drugs and exercise. The question generating most controversy is whether such epigenetic modifications can be passed from generation to generation. With regard to epigenetics, the exp