Nov 13, 2019
8 min read
Why Your Genes Are Not Your Destiny
On the importance of epigenetics
The concept of genetic determinism purports that our genes are our destiny, but genes are not nearly as important as gene expression. Indeed, why worry about a potentially pathogenic gene if it is never expressed? To offer an extreme example illustrating the power of gene expression, let us consider the following: What differentiates a grasshopper from a locust? Although both belong to the same kingdom, phylum, and class, the two insects don’t seem to share many behavioral characteristics.
