What is epigenetics concerned with?

Epigenetics is the study of heritable changes in gene expression that do not involve alterations to the underlying DNA sequence. This means that while the DNA sequence remains the same, the way genes are turned on or off, or how they are expressed, can change in response to environmental factors, lifestyle, or developmental stages.

These changes often occur through mechanisms such as DNA methylation, histone modification, and chromatin remodeling. Such epigenetic modifications can be stable across cell divisions and even passed on to future generations, influencing phenotypes without modifying the genetic code itself. This area of study is crucial for understanding how gene expression is regulated in different contexts, such as during development, in response to environmental stimuli, and in the formation of various diseases.

On the other hand, changes in DNA sequence, new mutations in gametes, and protein modifications after translation do not fall under the umbrella of epigenetics, as they involve direct alterations to the genetic material or post-translational changes in proteins rather than regulation of gene expression.