This 2-volume work contains a collection of essential articles covering key topics in Epigenetics. The first volumed covers the fundamentals of Epigeneticsstarting from molecular and cellular processes and the epigenenome. The second volume focuses on epigenetics of various organisms ranging from plants to humans and describes current and emerging technologies as well as medical applications. Among the chapters are updated articles from the acclaimed Meyers Encyclopedia of Molecular Cell Biology and Molecular Medicine. The book gives a comprehensive overview of Epigenetic mechanisms in the cell, and provides an overview of analytical aspects and medical applications. Epigenetics is a term inbiology referring to heritable traits that do not involve changes in the underlying DNA sequence of the organism. Epigenetic traits exist on top of or in addition to the traditional molecular basis for inheritance. The "epigenome" isa parallel to the word "genome," and refers to the overall epigenetic state of a cell. Cancer and stem cell research have gradually focused attention on these genome modifications. The molecular basis of epigenetics involves modifications to DNA and the chromatin proteins that associate with it. Methylation, for example, can silence a nearby gene and seems to be involved in some cancers. Epigenetics is beginning to form and take shape as a new scientific discipline, which will have a major impact on Medicine and essentially all fields of biology. Increasingly, researchers are unearthing links between epigenetics anda number of diseases. Although in recent years cancer has been the main focusof epigenetics, recent data suggests that epigenetic plays a critical role inpsychology and psychopathology. It is being realized that normal behaviors such as maternal care and pathologies such as Schizophrenia and Alzheimer's might have an epigenetic basis. It is also becoming clear that nutrition and life experiences have epigenetic consequences. Further content is available online within the Encyclopedia of Molecular Cell Biology and Molecular Medicine. Covering everything from Alzheimer's Disease to the Zebrafish Genome, the Encyclopedia of Molecular Cell Biology and Molecular Medicine represents the most detailed and up to date peer reviewed treatment in existence covering the molecular and cellular basis of life. It is thus an authoritative reference source forundergraduate and graduate students, faculty, librarians and researchers in industry and government. Available online at www.meyers-emcbmm.com.
- ISBN: 978-3-527-32682-2
- Editorial: Wiley-VCH
- Encuadernacion: Cartoné
- Páginas: 1254
- Fecha Publicación: 25/04/2012
- Nº Volúmenes: 1
- Idioma: Inglés