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1. "Epigenetics" 1 Many of us are familiar with the knowledge that...
"Epigenetics"
1 Many of us are familiar with the knowledge that certain family traits are handed down
through the generations. When we think of family traits, what usually comes to mind are
things like eye color, straight or wavy hair, or even a tendency toward some illnesses like
heart disease. A relatively new field of study, however, called "epigenetics" focuses on other
family traits—those that have more to do with lifestyle choices or significant events that can
affect the genes of future generations.
2 The field of genetics revolves in large part around deoxyribonucleic acid, or DNA, which
acts as a blueprint for all the cells in the body. Genes, hereditary units that come from
parents, reside within the DNA and determine traits that are inherited.
On Top of Genes
3 To understand epigenetics, let's take a closer look at what the word means. The prefix
"epi" means "above" or "on top of." So the word "epigenetics" means "on top of" genes. This
suggests that there are outside influences on DNA that can in turn influence genes to turn
"on" or "off," like light switches. These influences might include environmental factors and
life experiences which can affect the development of genes and be passed down through
successive generations. While traditional genetics explains how genes are passed from
generation to generation, epigenetics explains the way that those genes are used.
4 For example, there are genes that have a cancer cell suppressor or "blocker" that is turned
"off" through genes inherited by perhaps a grandparent. Without the help of the suppressor
cell to block or keep cancer cells from growing, the cells may continue to multiply until a
full-blown tumor grows.
The Dutch Hunger Winter
5 In 1944, the world was knee-deep in the throes of World War II. Railway workers in the
Netherlands decided to go on strike to keep the German Nazi troops from entering the
country, believing that they would soon receive aid from allied forces, including the United
States. However, the plan failed, and Germany blocked all food supplies from entering the
country. This, in turn, created a famine that killed 20,000 people by May 1945.
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6 Pregnant women that survived this difficult time gave birth to babies who later showed
evidence of their mothers' food deprivation. Those that were in their mother's wombs
during the famine also suffered from the lack of food and died at a higher rate as adults than

2. people that were born before or after the famine. They had more health problems, such as
high cholesterol and diabetes, and tended to carry more weight as well. So while these
people had not experienced the famine directly, their mothers had, and it may have affected
the way their cells developed.
Future Possibilities
7 Not everyone supports this idea of epigenetics. There are scientists who refute the theory
that there is a direct connection from the subjects' health problems to the famine. Instead,
they point to the fact that not enough research has been done to definitively prove that
epigenetics is a viable and potentially valuable tool. Others suggest that the idea of passed-
on experiences sounds more poetic than scientific and that more studies need to be done.
8 There is enough evidence, however, to suggest that there may be something to this idea of
genetic and life connectedness. While the research around epigenetics is just getting fully
underway, the prospects for its usefulness are very promising. Scientists may be able to
develop drugs that turn "on and off" faulty genes and thus alter the course of development
of some diseases like cancer, diabetes, or Alzheimer's. This exciting new field holds infinite
possibilities for understanding our past as well as predicting the future.
Text Dependent Questions:
What is the central idea of the text?
How does paragraph 7 develop the central idea?
What is the mood in the sentence from paragraph 5, "In 1944, the world was knee-deep in
the throes of World War II."?
What is the text structure in the section "The Dutch Hunger Winter"? (Hint: cause/effect,
problem/solution, chronological, sequence, description)
Drag and Drop the explanations below to the correct section.
"Dutch Hunger Winter" "Food for the Netherlands - World War II"
This section focuses more on the real-world efforts of the Allied Forces and Americans in
trying to help the people in the Netherlands, rather than focusing on the people who were
starving at the time.
This section of the text focuses on the events leading up to the hunger strike as well as the
effects on the children born at that time, which appear to support the theory of epigenetics.