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10.4.2: Epigenetics

Public Health Introduction · LibreTexts

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    From LibreTexts, under CC BY-NC-SA, as the source states it; its equations are written in TeX, which the PDF shows typeset. This page at LibreTexts.

    Genes shape human health in important ways, obviously -- not only because some diseases are genetic, but also because some personality traits or aptitudes are influenced by genes. Genes are inherited and they don't change in a person's lifetime. An infant inherits a combination of their parents' genes -- some from each parent. Occasionally, in the process of an embryo forming, a gene may randomly mutate, leading to an infant having a gene that is slightly different from the genes of either parent. While the process of human evolution may change genes over many (many!) generations, that kind of change cannot happen within a single person's life, nor even in a few generations -- human evolution takes thousands of years. However, within one person's lifetime, genes DO turn on and off -- telling the body to create more of some proteins and less of another. How does that happen? 

    Epigenetics is a key to understanding how genes turn on and off. Our genes are surrounded by other molecules that can affect the gene, making them active or inactive.  Those other molecules -- histones and methyl groups -- are affected by our environment. Epigenetics (literally, "on top of the genome") is the study of how that happens.

    When I was growing up, the question of "nature or nurture" was quite common -- are humans shaped mainly by our genes or by our experiences and environment?  The truth is, both have a huge effect. What epigenetics lets us see is, not only are we influenced by both nature and nurture, but in fact, nurture AFFECTS nature. Our life experiences cause chemical changes in our bodies that may turn on or off select genes.

    Life experiences that may influence epigenetics include

    • environmental exposures
    • nutrition
    • tobacco, alcohol, and other drug use
    • traumatic experiences, from abuse to war
    • poverty
    • chronic discrimination or marginalization
    • supportive interpersonal relationships

    Epigenetics and MICH 

    What does this have to do with maternal, infant and child health? 

    While humans experience epigenetic changes across our whole lifespans, exposures and experiences in utero (prior to birth) and in early life have an especially important effect. The physical and mental health of the mother or pregnant parent, the home environment, the community environment, and in general, the stress levels surrounding the infant all have an effect on long-term health.  

    Here are a few examples of how maternal and infant health can be affected by epigenetic changes, drawn from scientific research cited below:

    • Both male and female fertility can be affected epigenetically by long-term exposure to certain chemicals in the environment.
    • Adequate nutrition and lower stress levels are associated with better brain development in infants.
    • Care from a parent or other caregiver and healthy attachment can cause epigenetic changes associated with resiliency later in life, leading to better health outcomes.
    • Poor nutrition can increase the likelihood of obesity and metabolic disorders later in life.
    • Mental health outcomes later in life can be influenced by epigenetic changes in utero or in early life, positively or negatively.

     

    Optional Video on Epigenetics

    This short video from the BBC includes a not-too-technical explanation of how epigenetics works, how it relates to trauma specifically, and some promising directions for influencing epigenetics through medications or behaviors. 

     

     

    References

    Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2025). Epigenetics, health and disease. https://www.cdc.gov/genomics-and-hea...ics/index.html

    Dieckmann, L., Czamara, D. (2024). Epigenetics of prenatal stress in humans: the current research landscape. Clin Epigenet 16, 20. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13148-024-01635-9

    Epigenetics. Learn.Genetics. (2026). University of Utah. https://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/epigenetics/

    Yu X, Xu J, Song B, Zhu R, Liu J, Liu YF and Ma YJ (2024) The role of epigenetics in women’s reproductive health: the impact of environmental factors. Front. Endocrinol. 15:1399757. doi: 10.3389/fendo.2024.1399757

    Zuccarello, D., Sorrentino, U., Brasson, V., Marin, L., Piccolo, C., Capalbo, A., Andrisani, A., & Cassina, M. (2022). Epigenetics of pregnancy: looking beyond the DNA code. Journal of assisted reproduction and genetics, 39(4), 801–816. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10815-022-02451-x

    This page titled 10.4.2: Epigenetics was last modified on Tue, 31 Mar 2026 21:39:04 GMT and is shared under a CC BY-NC-SA license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Janey Skinner.