June 6, 2013 in Reading

Identical twins have the same DNA than, yet they are often different. How can that be? A British genetics expert thinks he has found the answer. Date June 16, 2013 Author Antje Field Photographer Jodi Cobb
Why are identical twins despite their corresponding DNA and shared uterus still often different? Even if they had the same education, about the same food have ingested and grew up in the same environment? These are questions that Tim Spector, professor of genetic epidemiology at King's College London, hold for over twenty years now.
Spector started early nineties a special department for twin research ster at King's College. Here, with the help of molecular biological knowledge the DNA of thousands of twins drawn. ster Meanwhile, Spector has a database of 3,500 twins. Originally, the department was set up to investigate which genes play a role in diseases such as arthritis and cataracts. But because Spector during these investigations found out that many twins with the same DNA yet are very different, his interest for an explanation for these differences.
After much research, he found that the differences arise from changes in the epigenome of a person. Every human being has a genome: a collection of genes that are stored in pieces of the DNA. This determines to a large extent who someone is, how someone looks and, for instance, ster hereditary diseases for which a person is sensitive. The bits of DNA in which genes are stored consecutively, are wrapped like a long strand around proteins in our body. The structure of the strand, and the way in which it is positioned, as it were, we call it epigenome. ster When the structure ster changes, other signals ster or substances to be picked up so that changes in the body may occur. The positioning determines how 'read' the DNA by the body.
According to Spector may cause such changes in the epigenome all kinds of reasons. For example, by a diet, smoking, drugs or medication. But according to some researchers through meditation, illness or age. The composition or sequence of the DNA remains with the customized epigenome thus the same, but the person can be change. That explains the difference in personalities between twins with the same DNA.
Read Memories transmitted through ster DNA
June 6, 2013 in Reading
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