Is it all in the Genes?
People are genetically more identical than different. The genetic variations(mutations) caused mainly by 'junk DNA' also known as jumping genes or transposons, thought to have had parasitic infection origin, that we individually have, are phenotypically insignificant, being largely repressed, except, of course, when they cause occasional diseases. Thus, phenotypically we have even much closer resemblances than dissimilarities and that explains why we, as humans, have the same basic needs.
There, however, is one thing we all differ in; and that is, our thinking. We choose what we want to do with our lives, except, of course, in situations when we have mental health issues (most of us do, in the course of our lifespan). Our experiences and individual life paths are all different and they help shape both intra-personal(varies with age) and inter-personal(between persons) differences, which are observed even in identical twins, individuals with the closest genotypic and phenotypic similarities.
Before birth and at old age we have very similar genetic expressions. These are times when cell replication is more profound, organogenesis in the fetus and degenerative changes and cancer in the old age and hence more genes are open to expression. In-between, however, most genes are silenced, by epigenetic mechanisms, since they are not often in demand.
The gene expression of the brain of people will differ depending on their attitude and hence motivation and on their personality; which have genetic and environmental components to it.
It is now known that brain cell simulation keeps genes turned on, to keep up the desired function and so our life intentions, motivations and loves drive themselves through epigenetic mechanisms and these traits are known to pass not only from mother to child but equally from father to offspring(thereby excluding an in-utero -only-transmission mechanism), even if they have never been seen or expressed in grandparents. Unused for a while, these epigenetic changes revert to the native form.
It is on the basis of this concept of cell plasticity that the expression, 'What doesn't kill you strengthens you', is often made allusion to. Genes are up- or down-regulated to meet our adaptative needs; to compensate for some deficits. By the time this somehow lost function returns, we will have acquired an additional new target of function and a way of doing things or coping, which now become a desired bonus on function; which function was originally and solely executed by the primary tissue or target of this function. This can now result in the rebirth of a talent, long buried with the gene in the histone, as it were.
Creating new genes for completely new needs may be an evolutionally slow process(transposons are unstable regulatory DNA segments, most likely, of parasitic infectious origin) but plasticity is a rapid adaptation, necessary for human survival. In fact, some of our human genes must have been lost in the course of evolution for want of conferring any survival advantage or for lack of use.
Each cell can be made(trained) to perform the function of another, since genetically our cells are basically the same and , in fact, differentiated cells are known to de-differentiate to stem cells in tissue damage, if there are not enough of these stem cells and then to divide and replace dead cells.
The question of whether we can overcome our genes pops up very too frequently, and never mind the cliche: 'It is all in the genes'. Many genes, apart from, those implicated in inborn errors of metabolism that code for enzymes and which are autosomal recessive, can only act together to have a significant effect on the outcome(polygenic effect). Hence, many people carry schizophrenia, diabetes, obesity, cancer, genes but will never develop the diseases or conditions. There are inactivation by repressor gene, microRNA silencing, transposon interference, and epigenetic methylation, phosphorylation and acetylation of genes and histones which result in the binding of these genes to histones to become silenced.
It is now known that exercise and good nutrition are the single most important mitigating factors to developing diseases.
Come to think of it, nutrition and exercise provide metabolites, and energy resources generated with oxygen that help our genes to properly regulate our body and make us stay in good health. These are needed by all cells to function properly, repair or renew themselves and retard cellular senescence. These healthful lifestyle activities have, in fact, been documented to actually reverse cell senescence by lengthening age-related shortened telomeres. Telomeres are repetitive sequences at chromosomes' terminals, rich in enzymes of DNA repair. Repair is more profound during sleep, when further damage from catabolic activities including eating, and nutrient competition from these would be least likely.
It is good that we start exercise while still young so as to strengthen the muscles and bones and maintain these as we age and be able to continuously exercise throughout lifespan.
Dr Oliver Verbe Birnso,MD
There, however, is one thing we all differ in; and that is, our thinking. We choose what we want to do with our lives, except, of course, in situations when we have mental health issues (most of us do, in the course of our lifespan). Our experiences and individual life paths are all different and they help shape both intra-personal(varies with age) and inter-personal(between persons) differences, which are observed even in identical twins, individuals with the closest genotypic and phenotypic similarities.
Before birth and at old age we have very similar genetic expressions. These are times when cell replication is more profound, organogenesis in the fetus and degenerative changes and cancer in the old age and hence more genes are open to expression. In-between, however, most genes are silenced, by epigenetic mechanisms, since they are not often in demand.
The gene expression of the brain of people will differ depending on their attitude and hence motivation and on their personality; which have genetic and environmental components to it.
It is now known that brain cell simulation keeps genes turned on, to keep up the desired function and so our life intentions, motivations and loves drive themselves through epigenetic mechanisms and these traits are known to pass not only from mother to child but equally from father to offspring(thereby excluding an in-utero -only-transmission mechanism), even if they have never been seen or expressed in grandparents. Unused for a while, these epigenetic changes revert to the native form.
It is on the basis of this concept of cell plasticity that the expression, 'What doesn't kill you strengthens you', is often made allusion to. Genes are up- or down-regulated to meet our adaptative needs; to compensate for some deficits. By the time this somehow lost function returns, we will have acquired an additional new target of function and a way of doing things or coping, which now become a desired bonus on function; which function was originally and solely executed by the primary tissue or target of this function. This can now result in the rebirth of a talent, long buried with the gene in the histone, as it were.
Creating new genes for completely new needs may be an evolutionally slow process(transposons are unstable regulatory DNA segments, most likely, of parasitic infectious origin) but plasticity is a rapid adaptation, necessary for human survival. In fact, some of our human genes must have been lost in the course of evolution for want of conferring any survival advantage or for lack of use.
Each cell can be made(trained) to perform the function of another, since genetically our cells are basically the same and , in fact, differentiated cells are known to de-differentiate to stem cells in tissue damage, if there are not enough of these stem cells and then to divide and replace dead cells.
The question of whether we can overcome our genes pops up very too frequently, and never mind the cliche: 'It is all in the genes'. Many genes, apart from, those implicated in inborn errors of metabolism that code for enzymes and which are autosomal recessive, can only act together to have a significant effect on the outcome(polygenic effect). Hence, many people carry schizophrenia, diabetes, obesity, cancer, genes but will never develop the diseases or conditions. There are inactivation by repressor gene, microRNA silencing, transposon interference, and epigenetic methylation, phosphorylation and acetylation of genes and histones which result in the binding of these genes to histones to become silenced.
It is now known that exercise and good nutrition are the single most important mitigating factors to developing diseases.
Come to think of it, nutrition and exercise provide metabolites, and energy resources generated with oxygen that help our genes to properly regulate our body and make us stay in good health. These are needed by all cells to function properly, repair or renew themselves and retard cellular senescence. These healthful lifestyle activities have, in fact, been documented to actually reverse cell senescence by lengthening age-related shortened telomeres. Telomeres are repetitive sequences at chromosomes' terminals, rich in enzymes of DNA repair. Repair is more profound during sleep, when further damage from catabolic activities including eating, and nutrient competition from these would be least likely.
It is good that we start exercise while still young so as to strengthen the muscles and bones and maintain these as we age and be able to continuously exercise throughout lifespan.
Dr Oliver Verbe Birnso,MD
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