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Old 04-17-2006, 03:44 PM   #17
Pie
Gone and done
 
Join Date: Sep 2001
Posts: 4,808
Not quite true. It is possible to change the expression of genes without changing the underlying sequences -- see this Wikipedia article on twins
Quote:
Identical twins have identical DNA but differing environmental influences throughout their lives affect which genes are switched on or off. This is called epigenetic modification. A study of 80 pairs of human twins ranging in age from 3 to 74 showed that the youngest twins have relatively few epigenetic differences. The number of differences between identical twins increases with age. 50-year-old twins had over three times the epigenetic difference of 3-year-old twins. Twins who had spent their lives apart (such as those adopted by two different sets of parents at birth) had the greatest difference. (Fraga, et al., 2005).
DNA methylation, histone modification and other processes related to gene activation occur throughout an individual's lifetime. The study of these changes is called epigenetics.
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per·son \ˈpər-sən\ (noun) - an ephemeral collection of small, irrational decisions
The fun thing about evolution (and science in general) is that it happens whether you believe in it or not.
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