Epigenetics And Behavior

Includes bibliographical references (pages 275-300) and index

Epigenetics and Behavior: Exploring Biological Determinants of Behavior discusses the evolutionary basis of neurodevelopmental regulation of gene expression by experience (epigenetics). While many areas of scientific inquiry have sought to understand what determines the variation in human attributes (phenotypes) that have consistent trait-like features, including anxiety or fearlessness, aggressive or non-aggressive behavior, social or antisocial behavior, charitable or miserly traits, and so forth, this book takes a comprehensive approach. Over the lifespan of a particular individual, these traits, although flexible, are often highly consistent. The “nature-nurture or “genes versus environment discussion is one of the longstanding arguments in all philosophical inquiry. And now, as we stand on the threshold of a complete understanding of the most fundamental question about human nature, all a result of combined empirical and theoretical advances in epigenetics which influence developmental psychobiology and evolutionary biology, the science is rapidly progressing. With the advent of epigenetics, we now have a mechanism (or mechanisms, really) to explain how this process works at a molecular level – that is, evolutionary selected mechanisms of gene-environment interactions are literally “written into our genetic code. This book draws together the knowledge and ideas from the different fields that collectively have answered the “nature-nurture discussion. Integrates the findings of developmental psychobiology with epigenetics in an evolutionary context Written to convey a new perspective on epigenetic effects on behavior, while maintaining fluid writing prose for the uninformed reader Assembles knowledge from a number of fields, including developmental psychobiology, genomics, epigenetics, and evolutionary biology to paint a precise picture of epigenetic influences on personality

This handbook provides a comprehensive survey of what is now known about psychological development, from birth to biological maturity, and it highlights how cultural, social, cognitive, neural, and molecular processes work together to yield human behavior and changes in human behavior.

Developmental Human Behavioral Epigenetics: Principles, Methods, Evidence, and Future Directions, Volume 23, a new volume in the Translational Epigenetics series, offers the first systematic account of theoretical G79 frameworks, methodological approaches, findings, and future directions in the field of human behavioral epigenetics. Featuring contributions from leading scientists and international researchers, this book provides a comprehensive overview of human behavioral epigenetics, with a close examination of evidence gathered to-date from animal models, challenges of human-based research and clinical translation, pathways towards drug discovery, and next steps in research. Areas of focus include prenatal stress exposures, preterm behavioral epigenetics, intergenerational exposures, trauma and neglect, socio-economic conditions, maternal caregiving and attachment, study design, and epigenetics and psychotherapy. Enables more effective study design and methods application in behavioral epigenetics research across human and animal models Examines findings in human behavioral epigenetics to-date Features contributions from leading international researchers in behavioral epigenetics

Biomedical research in the first decade of the 21st century has been marked by a rapidly growing interest in epigenetics. The reasons for this are numerous, but primarily it stems from the mounting realization that research programs focused solely on DNA sequence variation, despite their breadth and depth, are unlikely to address all fundamental aspects of human biology. Some questions are evident even to non-biologists. How does a single zygote develop into a complex multicellular organism composed of dozens of different tissues and hundreds of cell types, all genetically identical but performing very different functions? Why do monozygotic twins, despite their stunning external similarities, often exhibit significant differences in personality and predisposition to disease? If environmental factors are solely the cause of such variation, why are similar differences also observed between genetically identical animals housed in a uniform environment? Over the last couple of decades, epigenetics has undergone a significant metamorphosis from an abstract developmental theory to a very dynamic and rapidly developing branch of molecular biology. This volume represents a compilation of our current understanding about the key aspects of epigenetic processes in the brain and their role in behavior. The chapters in this book bring together some of the leading researchers in the field of behavioral epigenetics. They explore many of the epigenetic processes which operate or may be operating to mediate neurobiological functions in the brain and describe how perturbations to these systems may play a key role in mediating behavior and the origin of brain diseases.

This work is intended to portray the interrelationship of heredity, individual development, and the evolution of species in a way that can be understood by nonspecialists. In striving to offer a straightforward historical exposition of the complex topic of nature and nurture, the author tells the story through a central cast of characters beginning with Lamarck in 1809 and ending with a synthesis of his own that depicts how extragenetic behavioral changes in individual development could be the first stages in the pathway leading to evolutionary change. On the way to that goal, he describes relevant conceptual aspects of genetics, embryological development, and evolutionary biology in a nontechnical and accurate way for students and colleagues in the behavioral and social sciences. The book presents a highly selected review as a prelude to the description of a developmental theory of the phenotype in which behavioral change leads eventually to evolutionary change. This book grew out of an invited interdisciplinary course of lectures for advanced undergraduate and graduate students at the University of Colorado, Boulder. Presenting the various ways about thinking about heredity, individual development, and evolution, the author had three goals in mind: *to establish the relevance of individual development to the evolution of species; *to describe the most appropriate way to think about or conceptualize heredity in relation to individual development; *to show that this somewhat unorthodox manner of conceptualizing heredity and individual development gives rise to a new way to think about the behavioral pathway leading to evolution. In conclusion, the present work will provide a contribution toward the possible dissolution of the nature-nurture dichotomy, as well as a contribution to evolutionary theory.

This comprehensive handbook synthesizes the often-fractured relationship between the study of biology and the study of society. Bringing together a compelling array of interdisciplinary contributions, the authors demonstrate how nuanced attention to both the biological and social sciences opens up novel perspectives upon some of the most significant sociological, anthropological, philosophical and biological questions of our era. The six sections cover topics ranging from genomics and epigenetics, to neuroscience and psychology to social epidemiology and medicine. The authors collaboratively present state-of-the-art research and perspectives in some of the most intriguing areas of what can be called biosocial and biocultural approaches, demonstrating how quickly we are moving beyond the acrimonious debates that characterized the border between biology and society for most of the twentieth century. This landmark volume will be an extremely valuable resource for scholars and practitioners in all areas of the social and biological sciences. The chapter 'Ten Theses on the Subject of Biology and Politics: Conceptual, Methodological, and Biopolitical Considerations' is open access under a CC BY 4.0 license via link.springer.com. Versions of the chapters 'The Transcendence of the Social', 'Scrutinizing the Epigenetics Revolution', 'Species of Biocapital, 2008, and Speciating Biocapital, 2017' and 'Experimental Entanglements: Social Science and Neuroscience Beyond Interdisciplinarity' are available open access via third parties. For further information please see license information in the chapters or on link.springer.com.

You Are About To Develop A Comprehensive Understanding Of The Concept Of Epigenetics, Its Place In Modern Day Medicine, And Health Optimization And Why It Is Literally Changing How We Approach The Treatment Of Various Health Problems! Modern research has now confirmed that the behavior of your genes doesn't always depend on their DNA sequence, but also on factors referred to epigenetics, and that changes in these factors can play a critical role in disease, life structures, behavior and all aspects of life. And that's not all; research also shows that therapies based on these factors have proven effective in reversing some conditions, boosting the immune system, optimizing psychology and human adaptation. Epigenetics have thus taken the center stage in understanding human biology at a deeper level, life, and evolution. But what are epigenetics, and how to they work? How does the environment affect them, and how is this "remembered" in the body? How does epigenetic therapy work? What does it treat? Isn't it risky? What is the relationship between epigenetics and the human psychology? How can we benefit from the discovery and understanding of epigenetics? If you have these and other related questions, this 2 in 1 book is for you so keep reading. Here is a bit of what you'll learn from this 2 in 1 book: • What epigenetics are, why they're important and how they work • How epigenetics relate with our experiences • How cells divide, and how genes control the growth and division of cells • The difference between the DNA, gene and chromosomes • The existing evidence of epigenetic changes, including in transgenerational epigenetic inheritance • The ins and outs of epigenetics mechanisms • The types of epigenetic therapies available today, including their risks, benefits and research on them • The effect of epigenetic control in transcriptional regulation in pluripotency and early differentiation, DNA methylation and Demethylation, nucleosome remodeling and chromatin looping • How epigenetics work at the molecular level and the effect of DNA damage in epigenetic change • The functions of epigenetics, and how they boost mindfulness training, healthy eating and exercise • How epigenetic therapy and modifications affects diabetic retinopathy, emotional disorders, cardiac dysfunction, cancer and schizophrenia, mesothelioma and many more • How epigenetic modifications are used in understanding plant and animal evolution • How epigenetic mechanisms are used in understanding human adaptation, boosting memory formation, growth and reinforcing infant neurobehavior. • The role of epigenetic mechanisms in maternal care • The role of environmental chemicals in epigenetics • How epigenetics are involved in neurodegenerative diseases, drug formation, human development, the development of Hox genes and many more. • The role of environmental exposures in pathophysiology of IPF • Modulation of epigenetic marks by environmental exposures • How epigenetic regulation affects the immune system …And so much more! Whether you are a beginner or an intermediate in epigenetics, you will find this book educative, as you learn the A-Z of factors that are quickly changing our understanding of the structure of life. Don't wait…. Scroll up and click Buy Now with 1-Click or Buy Now to get started!