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Human Growth

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This paper analyzes what epigenetics precisely is as well as the effects of epigenetics on our human body throughout time. I further my analysis by going in depth on the effects epigenetics can have on a child going all the way back to their grandparent’s medical history and life experiences. The different articles provide a better understanding on how epigenetics can impede a person drastically, but also ensuring us that scientist are working efficiently to find out ways to manipulate the epigenome. This paper examines my own personal Family History Questionnaire findings and how they are relative to epigenetics. The last part of this paper explores a Bluzone Life Expectancy Questionnaire which identifies the longevity of my life by asking me various questions about everyday experiences and how I can improve my health.

Life expectancy Epigenetics is defined as superior to the genome (Epigenetics, 2007). It simply commands the genome on how to work, how much to work and when to react in a specific way. The epigenome tells our cells precisely what type of skin, hair type, and heart we should have. Twins may be born exactly comparable with the same gene structure, but the epigenome is the part of a person’s gene structure that is altered from the day they are born. A genome can be linked to a computer’s hardware that makes up a computer while the epigenome is seen as the software the runs the computer entirely. Epigenome can change a cell just by a person’s diet, whether or not they choose to smoke, as well as what toxic fluids we choose to put into our body (Epigenetics, 2007). Throughout the years as our epigenetics tend to change for some more than others the cells in our body tend to become abnormal, stimulating the start of diseases, such as, cancer. Unfortunately, the reality of this is that in today’s society many of us are unaware of what “Epigenetics” is and how evident it is to our own lives and can possibly hinder our children’s and grandchildren’s lives as well. In a 2010 article “Why your DNA isn’t your destiny” Dr. Las Olov Bygren conducted a study in which he drew out an arbitrary selection of 99 different individuals who were born in a small town known as Norrbotten in the year of 1905. Bygren wanted to use their parents as well as grandparents historical background in order to trace their lives all the way back to the day they were born. Bygren ended up coming across some interesting useful information: he noticed that a child’s health can be impaired even before conception depending on a woman’s as well as male’s life experiences, which could affect the genetic material in eggs and sperm (Cloud, John). Epigenetics is what tells your genes when to shift on or off, when to run or jump (Cloud, John). Believe it or not it is crucial for the parents to keep a healthy life in order to ensure the longevity of your children. If a person has the tendency to eat large portions of food especially fast food, such as, McDonalds you are shortening the longevity of your child’s life as well as altering your epigenetics to activate the genes that lead to obesity. On a brighter note, lately scientist have been able to manipulate epigenetic marks in labs by creating drugs to treat illnesses in the process of shutting off the bad genes and firing up the good ones (Cloud, John). As I look at myself in the mirror I see a reflection of my mother, many of my conditions, such as, having asthma can be associated with her. After having completed the Family History Questionnaire I noticed a slight comparison between the intensity of my mother’s asthma in relationship to mine. My mother slowly started developing asthma at a very young age (Adolescence). What struck out to me the most though, was realizing that my mother’s asthma is much more intense than my very own. The explanation leading to the cause of such an escalation in my mother’s asthma could possibly be because she is an avid smoker, increasing her difficulty of breathing and having loss of breath along with occasional coughing. If she wouldn’t have started smoking she would not be having as much asthma as she does, daily. I for a fact do not smoke which explains why my asthma is more moderate. This all leads to what epigenetics is: depending on what you do to harm your body, specifically smoking, can instantaneously alter your genes and activate/intensify specific illness/conditions that you didn’t have before.
Nonetheless, I noticed that on the Family History Questionnaire worksheet my father’s side of the family has a history of developing Cancer. Considering the fact that I am a Cuban it is more typical to cook our meals fried. In a 2010 article, Dr. Reshma L. Mahtani briefly explains the relationship between fried meals and Cancer. Researchers have come to the conclusion that fried foods contain a cancerous causing substance known as acrylamide (Mahtani, 2010). The chemical substance contained in fried foods could considerably have some correlation with why many of my family members have been diagnosed with Cancer. Considering the effects of epigenetics on future off-springs, even though I may not be a fan of fried foods I have a higher chance of developing cancer because you not only are what you eat, but also what your parents as well as grandparents eat (Epigenetics, 2007).
As I was completing the Bluzone Life Expectancy Questionnaire it essentially asked me questions that related to my everyday lifestyle, for example, how much vegetables, fruits, meats I incorporate into my meals daily. Moreover, the questionnaire had asked how many hours of sleep I incorporate into my day as well as how many times a week I take the time to exercise while taking into account the amount of stress/happiness I feel. At the end of the questionnaire my results portrayed having a biological age of 18.2, having a life expectancy of 82.4 years, being healthy till around the age of 69.7 years, and my accrued years were -0.9 (Bluezone ,2012). Generally, the life expectancy predicted for me is typically on average considering today’s nation. My grandmother is 78 and still living, but of course with many complications regarding her health. These results did not come as a shock to me because I try my best to take good care of myself, by strictly watching what I eat and how much I exercise. It can become very difficult at times because there are many other responsibilities revolving around our daily lives that we tend to struggle to find a balance within ourselves. I’ve taken it upon myself to improve my longevity by trying to compensate between my educational and personal lifestyle. I strive to do things that fulfill my objective as I learn to stop worrying about pleasing those around me. I plan to continue exercising and eating well in order to maintain good health and endurance.
To conclude, I’ve come to understand that epigenetics is something that plays a key role in the outcome of our future lives. The choices we make daily can affect us greatly in the future. Having understood the concept of epigenetics has made me develop a keen interest in my family’s history and why I am who I am today. Epigenetics is something about me that I never even knew existed, but now that I have established a better understanding I am able to see things from a different perspective.

References
(2007, April 24). Epigenetics. PBS. Retrieved February 12, 2012, from http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/body/epigenetics.html
Cloud, John (2010, January 6). Why Your DNA Isn't Your Destiny. Time Magazine Health. Retrieved February 12, 2012, from http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1952313-2,00.html
Mahtani, L, R ( 2010, August 15). Fried Foods, Acrylamide and Cancer. Caring4Cancer. Retrieved February 13, 2012, from http://www.caring4cancer.com/go/cancer/nutrition/questions/fried-foods-acrylamide-and-cancer.htm ( 2012). Vitality. Bluezone. Retrieved February 12, 2012, from http://apps.bluezones.com/vitality/

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