Control of Development and the Role of the Epigenome

3.3 How development is controlled

Different genes are expressed:

As an embryo develops, cells bcome more and more differentiated. The structure and function of each cell type is dependant on the proteins that it synethesises.

Switching Genes on:

"Cells become specialised because only some genes are switched on and produce active mRNA that are translated into proteins within the cell."

The Role of the Epigenome:

The Epigenome influences which genes can be transcribed withing a particular cell.

A Genome should not be confused with an epigenome. A genome is all the DNA containing a full set of genes.

DNA is wrapped around histone proteins nd both DNA and histones have chemical markers attched to their surfaces of which make up the epigenome.

The attachment of, for example, methyl groups to DNA prevents transcription to mRNA, by preventing the binding of…