Epigenetic inheritance

Question 1

What is genetic inheritance?

Answer 1

The inheritance of particular DNA sequences that dictate the gene products, gene expression patterns, and the phenotypes. Also includes DNA sequences passed down through cell division

Question 2

What is epigenetic inheritance?

Answer 2

The inheritance of particular patterns of gene expression and phenotypes that are not caused by DNA sequences. Epigenetic changes like histone modifications and DNA methylation get passed to offspring and daughter cells

Question 3

What is imprinting?

Answer 3

When the alleles of a certain gene are silenced in either the sperm or the egg. The offspring only gets a single active copy

Question 4

What happens to imprinting in gametes produced by the offspring?

Answer 4

The parental imprinting gets erased and then reestablished in the offspring

Question 5

Why do tigons and ligers look different from each other?

Answer 5

Imprinting

Question 6

About how many genes are imprinted in humans?

Answer 6

About 80. Uses DNA and histone methylation

Question 7

Can epigenetic inheritance be passed through mitosis?

Answer 7

Yes, each daughter strand of DNA gets the full correct pattern of histones and modifications reestablished after replication

Question 8

What is transgenerational epigenetic inheritance? What do we know about it?

Answer 8

Epigenetic inheritance passed down through generations. We know almost nothing, and most of what we do know is from mice