•Epigenetic information
is based on the experience of a cell, is stored mainly via DNA methylation, histone acetylation, non-coding RNA and protein
folding patterns, may be passed on in the process of cell division, and
may be accumulated over the lifetimes
of a cell and all of its ancestors. In addition, nucleosome repositioning, higher order chromatin remodeling, and accumulated
damage to DNA repair machinery,
appear to be involved .
•The epigenomic
profiles of cells in an organism changes continuously over the lifetime of that organism and that set of changes
defines what we call aging. I have outlined three current chains of research that partially
support the idea of programmed
epigenomic changes of aging leading to death.
•Further, epigenetic
information may be selectively inherited from generation to generation. Epigenetic patterns capture ancestral
history of acell that is not in the genes
themselves and is unique to every cell. Changing
epigenetic information can drastically
alter the nature and lifespans of organisms and is responsible for much of evolution.
Working much faster than
genetic evolution, drastic changes can happen in a few generations. Animals can grow bigger or smaller and
change their shapes in
response to changed environmental conditions