Thursday, 25 February 2010

Dirty tricks of the egg and sperm race - 24 February 2010 - New Scientist

The title of this article about gene expression from New Scientist is misleading. Not so much 'dirty tricks' but fascinating negotiations! New insights into how genes express and are modified by environmental factors, known as the field of 'epigenetics' provide provide a better understanding of how we become who we are.

"The imprinted genes include several with a role in embryo growth and development, most of which are also expressed in the brain, meaning that key traits like body size, cognitive ability and personality might be moulded by epigenetic inheritance".

Dirty tricks of the egg and sperm race - 24 February 2010 - New Scientist