Epigenetics is a relatively new area of genetics with a focus on phenomena that affect gene expression but do not affect DNA sequence. Epigenetic effects are quasi-stable and may be passed to progeny somatic or germ-line cells. What are known causes of epigenetic effects, and how do they relate to cancer?

Video transcript

Hi everyone. Let's take a look at this practice problem Together. The study of how cells influence gene activity without changing the DNA sequence is known as. So we're influencing gene activity without causing mutations. So is the answer. A oncology be episode Asus C. Epigenetic C. Or D. Metastasis. And you'll also hear that pronounces metastases. So let's take a look at a oncology. Well on co is a prefix that means tumor and ology is a suffix that means study. So together the oncology is a branch of medicine that studies cancer. So A. Is incorrect. Now let's take a look at B. We should recall the definition of B. Episode. Asus is when one gene can influence or modify the expression of another. So this describes interactions between genes and not the study of gene activity. So B. Is also incorrect. Now we're gonna look at metastasis and we might recognize this word as describing when cancer cells have spread. However if you had never heard of that before by looking at the prefix and suffix, you can figure out the definition. So meta means beyond or above and stasis means stability or equilibrium. So combined would mean beyond stability. So describing the spreading of cancer cells beyond their origin. So D. Is also incorrect. So therefore our answer must be c. epigenetic six. And we know that genetics is the study of genes and heredity. So epi genetics is the study of how environmental influences can affect expression of a gene but it does not change that D. N. A sequence. So she is our answer. All right everyone. I hope you found this helpful, and I'll see you soon for the next practice problem.