Transgenerational Epigenetic Inheritance in Males
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Transgenerational Epigenetic Inheritance in Males
It is a common belief that children are born in a blank state, stripped away off the
parents’ genetic markers. However, experts in epigenetic inheritance suggest that may not be
true. Researchers have conducted numerous experiments and published their findings. The
results show evidence supporting the inheritance of traits across generations. They discovered
that parental olfactory experiences subsequently influence coming generations neural structure
and behavior. Additionally, exposure to paternal traumatic stress causes behavioral and
metabolic imprints. It also suggests that psychiatric disorders result from inherited factors. As
such, animal research in recent studies show that animals exposed to stressful environment
bring forth less reactive offsprings compared to control animals. On the other hand, critics
argue that human studies lack conclusive evidence hence the theory is not true.
Klengel et al. 2016 outlines the models of psychopathology risk transmission across mice
generation. They argue that understanding the molecular mechanism of disease resilience and
risk is crucial to the therapeutic and preventative strategies superior to the current therapies.
Furthermore, genetic and environmental factors play a role in psychiatric disorder development
Klengel et al. Although most studies focus on the genetic basis of psychiatric diseases, results
point towards polygenic risk. Little results point towards fear and stress disorders (Klengel et
al., 2016). However, studies on depression failed to identify genetic markers on schizophrenic
samples thereby, lacking conclusive evidence.
Klengel et al. 2016 also suggests that postnatal environment also has an effect on the
future generation’s biology. The postnatal is vital for mammal development. Studies using