No kidding, methyl groups make us complex, according to a headline in Chemical & Engineering News (8 February 2010). The researchers propose that as DNA is transcribed into mRNA, the chemical ““decorations”” of nearby histone proteins determine how the RNA is chopped and, thereby, how biological complexity is attained. The article is about epigenetics, the cutting-edge science that involves changes in gene expression (phenotype) that do not alter the DNA sequence (genotype).

So, might child abuse affect our genes? Can cocaine actually reprogram the way our brain works? Does what my mom ate affect my children? Does this explain why identical twins aren't identical although they have the same genotype? Does popping a B-vitamin protect me from the effects of multiple martinis? If I'm bilingual, does that mean I may be less prone to Alzheimer's? What is so important about archaeal histones being similar to my histones? Does it matter...

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