Epigenetics and Genetics

Epigenetics and Genetics
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Epigenetics and Genetics
Although both epigenetics and genetics involve the study of genes, the difference between them is primarily about how changes in gene expression/function occur. On one hand, Cook et al. (2019) indicate that in epigenetics, changes in gene expression are not caused by changes in the DNA sequence. Rather, these changes are caused by external modifications that cause the cell to read the gene differently. Lacal and Ventura (2018) reveal that these external modifications are caused by exposure to environmental influences and the changes can be inheritable through the transmission of epigenetic markers from parents to offspring. In epigenetics, the genes can either be expressed or not expressed based on external modifications. On the other hand, genetics involve changes in gene expression resulting from changes in the DNA sequence. This affects the functioning or expression of the genes (Cook et al., 2019). In genetics, certain traits and characteristics are passed down from parents to their offspring due to changes in the DNA sequence. As such, genetics is hereditary in the sense that the altered genes are passed to offspring.
Nurses can apply the principles of epigenetics to improve the health and wellness of their patients. Nurses are in contact with patients more than other healthcare professionals and as such, have a greater potential of promoting health and wellness among patients. To do this, nurses need to understand the patient as a whole by understanding their physical health and the environmental and lifestyle factors the patients have been exposed to. One way that nurses can apply epigenetics principles is by understanding these factors and how they expose the patient to the risk of developing a disease. Epigenetics allows nurses t...