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Related Concept Videos

Inheritance01:25

Inheritance

1.7K
Gregor Mendel's pioneering work on the principles of inheritance fundamentally transformed our understanding of how traits are transmitted from generation to generation. His experiments with pea plants laid the groundwork for the discovery of genes, discrete units within organisms that control heredity.
Each gene exists in pairs, and the combination of these genes from both parents forms an individual's genotype. This genotype is a blueprint of potential traits. Examples of genotype...
1.7K
Inheritance of Chromatin Structures03:17

Inheritance of Chromatin Structures

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Epigenetics is the study of inherited changes in a cell's phenotype without changing the DNA sequences. It provides a form of memory for the differential gene expression pattern to maintain cell lineage, position-effect variegation, dosage compensation, and maintenance of chromatin structures such as telomeres and centromeres. For example, the structure and location of the centromere on chromosomes are epigenetically inherited. Its functionality is not dictated or ensured by the underlying...
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Exon Recombination02:32

Exon Recombination

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The evolution of new genes is critical for speciation. Exon recombination, also known as exon shuffling or domain shuffling, is an important means of new gene formation. It is observed across vertebrates, invertebrates, and in some plants such as potatoes and sunflowers. During exon recombination, exons from the same or different genes recombine and produce new exon-intron combinations, which might evolve into new genes. 
Exon shuffling follows “splice frame rules.” Each exon...
4.2K
Genome Size and the Evolution of New Genes03:21

Genome Size and the Evolution of New Genes

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While every living organism has a genome of some kind (be it RNA, or DNA), there is considerable variation in the sizes of these blueprints. One major factor that impacts genome size is whether the organism is prokaryotic or eukaryotic. In prokaryotes, the genome contains little to no non-coding sequence, such that genes are tightly clustered in groups or operons sequentially along the chromosome. Conversely, the genes in eukaryotes are punctuated by long stretches of non-coding sequence.
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Chromosomal Theory of Inheritance01:39

Chromosomal Theory of Inheritance

60.7K
In 1866, Gregor Mendel published the results of his pea plant breeding experiments, providing evidence for predictable patterns in the inheritance of physical characteristics. The significance of his findings was not immediately recognized. In fact, the existence of genes was unknown at the time. Mendel referred to hereditary units as “factors.”
60.7K
Non-nuclear Inheritance01:29

Non-nuclear Inheritance

23.4K
Most DNA resides in the nucleus of a cell. However, some organelles in the cell cytoplasm⁠—such as chloroplasts and mitochondria⁠—also have their own DNA. These organelles replicate their DNA independently of the nuclear DNA of the cell in which they reside. Non-nuclear inheritance describes the inheritance of genes from structures other than the nucleus.
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 25, 2026

High-throughput Screening for Protein-based Inheritance in S. cerevisiae
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High-throughput Screening for Protein-based Inheritance in S. cerevisiae

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Epigenetic inheritance, prions and evolution.

Johannes Manjrekar1

  • 1Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, Vadodara 390 002, India. johannes.manjrekar@gmail.com.

Journal of Genetics
|August 2, 2017
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Epigenetics involves heritable changes without altering DNA sequence. Emerging evidence suggests transgenerational epigenetic inheritance (TEI) may play a role in evolution, particularly through environmental cues and prion-mediated mechanisms.

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Area of Science:

  • Epigenetics and Evolutionary Biology

Background:

  • Epigenetics studies heritable changes in gene expression without DNA sequence alteration.
  • Current research focuses on epigenetic changes within individuals (development, disease, aging).
  • A growing body of evidence indicates epigenetic changes can be transmitted across generations (transgenerational epigenetic inheritance - TEI).

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review classical TEI phenomena and their evolutionary implications.
  • To explore the role of environmental cues in inducing TEI.
  • To discuss protein-only epigenetic inheritance mediated by prions.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on TEI phenomena.
  • Analysis of evidence for meiotic and mitotic transmission of epigenetic changes.
  • Focus on prion-mediated epigenetic inheritance.

Main Results:

  • TEI, including environmentally induced changes, raises questions about Lamarckian mechanisms in evolution.
  • Prions represent a unique form of protein-only epigenetic inheritance.
  • Mechanisms, persistence, and effects of TEI require further investigation.

Conclusions:

  • The evolutionary significance of TEI is debated but warrants serious exploration.
  • Incorporating TEI into evolutionary theory is an ongoing challenge.
  • Further research is needed to understand the full impact of TEI on evolution.