Epigenetics: Control Beyond Your DNA

Your DNA isn't your destiny. There's a secret layer of control on top of your genes

deciding which ones get used. Imagine your DNA is a massive library of instruction books.

To fit inside a tiny cell, it’s wound tightly around proteins, like beads on a

string. This keeps the books closed. To turn a gene on, your cells add chemical

tags that loosen these beads, exposing the DNA so it can be read. But other tags can

be added directly to the DNA, acting like a "do not read" sign that silences the gene.

These epigenetic marks can be changed by your lifestyle and environment. You're constantly

editing which parts of your own instruction manual get read.