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Breakthrough Junior Challenge
Course: Breakthrough Junior Challenge > Unit 1
Lesson 2: 2015 Challenge — Life sciencesEpigenetics
By Vinamratha Rao
Epigenetics , the topic of my choice was initially very difficult to understand due to the fact that it is still a growing field. The topic has not found its place in all common textbooks and the explanations on the Internet were way too complex.
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- () How are these changes heritable? Even if we consider the nervous response of mice towards the smell of cherry blossom, how does that response affect germ cells of the mice in order to be elicited by the offspring as well? 1:06(7 votes)
- : How can epigenetic info be passed on from parent to offspring if the genes do not alter? Thank you. 5:59(4 votes)
- What kind of epigenetic change did the electric shock caused in the genome of the mice along with the smell of cherry blossom?(3 votes)
- I think it caused a genetic change in the mouse's reaction to the smell of cherry blossoms.
The smell of cherry blossoms (eventually) caused such a violent nervous reaction that the mouse would begin to shake. Somehow, the mouse's epigenetic coding gave the body the warning signal when the mouse smelled cherry blossoms, which in turn gave a signal to the nervous system, which caused the shaking.
Make sense? Or not really? I'm no expert but that's what I got.(3 votes)
- First of all, very nice explanation of the topic for people without background. But it could also cause missunderstandings:
Time in video:1:33
1. Histone acetylation
2. DNA Methylation
3. Micro RNA
is soooo much not enough to describe mechanism of epigenetics. There are tons of other modifications, especially on histones. But there are also other DNA base modifications next to cytosine methylation, like hydroxymethylation, formylation, carboxylation. Maybe these 3 points are thought to be examples, but in the video it seems like there are only these 3.
Since i should ask a question. Could one please correct this?(2 votes) - : Are there any special genes that code Micro-RNA? 5:02
Thank you.(2 votes) - Who did this video? Do they have any qualifications?? I'm writing a research paper on epigenetics and I wanted to use some of this information, but I'm not sure how to cite it, and if they are qualified. Thanks!(1 vote)
- i know the person who made this - she doesnt have any official qualifications ( i don't think - we're in high school) but she did use sources you can find in the youtube video.(2 votes)
- Can you share the citations for this video? I'm writing a research paper on epigenetics, and I would like to use some of this information. Thank you! It is really well done and professional.(1 vote)
- you can see the abstract for this study here: http://www.nature.com/neuro/journal/v17/n1/full/nn.3594.html(1 vote)
- Is it possible to reverse the process? If so, how can these mechanisms be reversed(0 votes)
- yes but at the same time you must know what you are doing in order to reverse the process in Epigenetics.!(1 vote)