Naked Science Forum

Life Sciences => Physiology & Medicine => Topic started by: thedoc on 27/07/2016 18:53:02

Title: Can you change the DNA you pass on to your children
Post by: thedoc on 27/07/2016 18:53:02
ALLAN G-MAIL  asked the Naked Scientists:
   I have a question, can one change the DNA passed on by change in habit diet and life style?  for instance have one Child as non stimulated male couch potato and years after studies becoming a healthy database programmer- are new traits passed for on for the most part I understand many other variables come into play. but can we switch on certain traits by life style change?

 
What do you think?
Title: Re: Can you change the DNA you pass on to your children
Post by: evan_au on 28/07/2016 21:48:20
There are "epigenetic" markers on the DNA which are affected by the environment of the parents and grandparents.

Probably the best-studied case is the attempt of Germany to starve the Dutch in World War 2, which has been confirmed to have affected children and grandchildren.

See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transgenerational_epigenetic_inheritance#In_humans
Title: Re: Can you change the DNA you pass on to your children
Post by: puppypower on 29/07/2016 12:54:08
If I am not mistaken, the bases on the DNA can be methylated and carboxylated, which is the adding of methyl groups or carbonyl group to the bases along the DNA. These two simple changes can impact gene activity. Methyl groups create more organic or water-oil affect, making it harder for DNA double helix to separate in water. This increases the local activity of the water. This is useful for silencing genes. Whereas, carboxylation is more ionic and takes advantage of the water making it easier to separate the double helix in water.

Say we are born with a given DNA. As we grow, some of the bases along our DNA are methylate and some are carboxylated before we reproduce. These addendum may impact base pairing when the DNA is duplicated. It is possible methylation and carboxylation may add a second level binary, on top of the base pair binary.

I have never heard that duplication of the DNA, during cell cycles, reproduces the methylation and carboxylation. So it makes sense these will still impact base pairing in a secondary way, possibly shifting the direction for mutations and change in the general direction of the inductions which induce the methylation and carboxylation in the first place.