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Related Concept Videos

Inheritance01:25

Inheritance

386
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...
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Genetic Drift03:33

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Natural selection—probably the most well-known evolutionary mechanism—increases the prevalence of traits that enhance survival and reproduction. However, evolution does not merely propagate favorable traits, nor does it always benefit populations.
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Heritability01:06

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Heritability is a statistical concept that measures the degree to which genetic differences among individuals contribute to trait variations within a population. It is a fundamental idea in genetics, often prone to misinterpretation. Heritability is expressed as a percentage, reflecting the proportion of variation in a specific trait across a population that can be linked to genetic differences. However, it's important to understand that heritability does not determine how "genetic"...
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Mutation, Gene Flow, and Genetic Drift01:09

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In a population that is not at Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, the frequency of alleles changes over time. Therefore, any deviations from the five conditions of Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium can alter the genetic variation of a given population. Conditions that change the genetic variability of a population include mutations, natural selection, non-random mating, gene flow, and genetic drift (small population size).
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Genomic Imprinting and Inheritance02:30

Genomic Imprinting and Inheritance

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Diploid organisms inherit genetic material through chromosomes from both parents. Copies of the same gene are known as alleles. In most cases, both alleles are simultaneously expressed and allow various cellular processes to function optimally. If one of the alleles is missing or mutated, the expression of the other allele can compensate; however, this is not true for all genes.
The expression of some genes depends on which parent passed the gene to the offspring, through a phenomenon known as...
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Gene Flow02:39

Gene Flow

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Gene flow is the transfer of genes among populations, resulting from either the dispersal of gametes or from the migration of individuals.
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 28, 2025

Author Spotlight: RNAi Inheritance and ChIP in C. elegans
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Transgenerational epigenetic inheritance increases trait variation but is not adaptive.

René S Shahmohamadloo1, John M Fryxell2, Seth M Rudman1

  • 1School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Vancouver, WA, United States.

Biorxiv : the Preprint Server for Biology
|April 25, 2024
PubMed
Summary

Transgenerational epigenetic inheritance (TEI) in Daphnia exposed to Microcystis reduced survival and growth. While TEI did not consistently boost offspring production, increased trait variance suggests potential for heritable bet-hedging.

Keywords:
DaphniaEpigeneticsGenetic variationMaternal effectsPhenotypic plasticityTransgenerational epigenetic inheritance

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Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary biology
  • Environmental science
  • Ecology

Background:

  • Adaptive phenotypic plasticity is crucial for species survival amid rapid environmental change and biodiversity loss.
  • Epigenetic inheritance is hypothesized to aid population persistence by facilitating adaptation to new environmental conditions.
  • However, the fitness effects and extent of epigenetic inheritance beyond maternal transmission remain largely uncharacterized.

Approach:

  • This study investigated the impact of transgenerational epigenetic inheritance (TEI) on Daphnia clones exposed to the environmental stressor Microcystis.
  • Eight Daphnia genotypes were divided into exposure and control groups (F0 generation), with offspring fitness tracked to the F3 generation.
  • Phenotypic and fitness consequences of TEI were assessed across generations.

Key Points:

  • Transgenerational epigenetic exposure to Microcystis negatively affected Daphnia survival and growth rates.
  • No consistent effects of TEI on offspring production were observed across the studied genotypes.
  • A notable increase in trait variance from F0 to F3 generations suggests potential for heritable bet-hedging driven by TEI.

Conclusions:

  • Contrary to expectations, TEI did not appear to be a universally adaptive mechanism promoting population persistence in this context.
  • The findings challenge the hypothesis that TEI generally prevents extinction in rapidly changing environments.
  • TEI's role in population dynamics may be complex, potentially involving heritable bet-hedging rather than direct adaptive advantage.