Before researching and watching many educational videos about epigenetics, I would never have believed that when my grandmother was my age, she was making dietary decisions that me 'had affected. Technically speaking, epigenetics simply means “above genetics.” In other words, epigenetics is the traits that you and I inherit, but do not necessarily require the gene sequence. It took me a while to understand the concept until I thought about it from a musical perspective. Think of our DNA helix strands as a musical score. There are different musical notes just like there are genes. If someone played Beethoven's Symphony Number 5 correctly, it would sound the same every time. Basically, if one note is changed, the entire piece of music will sound different. It's the same thing for the human body. Our genomes (musical notes) make up our DNA and who we are (musical score). Although the score of Beethoven's Symphony and our genomes will remain the same throughout our lives, our epigenomes tend to change or alter. Sheet music is not just about notes. What about articulations that tell us to play the note shorter or louder? This is exactly what our epigenomes are. These are adjustments that have been attached to our genomes. Epigenomes tell each of our cells what our specific job is. This is why skin cells know they are skin cells and muscle cells know they are muscle cells. Overall, our genomes do all the work the epigenomes tell them to do. The NOVA Science Now video on epigenetics had a huge impact on my knowledge of epigenetics. This video helped me understand what epigenomes are made of. Epigenomes are affected by two chemical compounds, methyl groups and histones. Methyl g...... middle of paper ... leads to "turn off" this arrangement. In other words, it causes neurological disruption of epigenomes. That said, Rett syndrome is indeed an example of a disease caused by a genetic variation that disrupts epigenetic processes. These modified methyl groups are also present in genes for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Bostrom and Sodhi believe this suggests that entire physiological pathways can be altered by altered epigenetic processes. Works Cited Bostrom, JA and Sodhi, M. (2013). A look to the future: epigenetics in psychiatric disorders and their treatment. (pp. 225-246). Waltham, MA: Academic Press: Elsevier. Retrieved from http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780123919182000160National Human Genome Research Institute (2012). Epigenomics. Retrieved from website: http://www.genome.gov/27532724