Epigenetic Age

Our DNA code is fixed: For better or for worse, we keep whatever we’re born with. So it’s easy to forget that genetic information actually changes all the time.That’s largely because of the epigenome — the set of chemical tags on DNA that turn gene expression on and off. Glitches in this extra layer of the genome have been linked to all sorts of disorders, including autism.Epigenetic markers can be influenced by chemical exposures in the environment, diet, hormones and even the firing patterns of neurons. A study published 11 June in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences finds that normal aging, too, ushers in dramatic epigenetic changes.Read more at...SFARI, June 2012.