Epigenetics refers to the study of how changes to genes during a person’s lifetime can then be passed on in some form to their offspring. In the early study of genetics, it was believed that a person’s genetics were set at birth, and whatever genes they were born with became the ones that were passed on to the next generation. However, researchers now understand that genes can be flipped on and off during a person’s life without the actual gene sequences changing. A wide range of environmental exposures can change this flipping on and off, called changes in gene expression. Examples of these exposures include age, diet, stress, life experiences, drugs, chemicals, environmental contaminants and physical activity. These changes in genetic expression can affect not only the individual’s risk of disease but also gene expression and risk of disease in their biological children and grandchildren.
