Epigenetics is the study of how your behaviors and environment can cause changes that affect the way your genes work. Unlike genetic changes, epigenetic changes are reversible and do not change your DNA sequence, but they can change how your body reads a DNA sequence.

What is epigenetics kid definition?

“Epigenetics” is an emerging area of scientific research that shows how environmental influences—children's experiences—actually affect the expression of their genes. This means the old idea that genes are “set in stone” has been disproven.

What is epigenetics and what is an example?

Epigenetic changes alter the physical structure of DNA. One example of an epigenetic change is DNA methylation — the addition of a methyl group, or a "chemical cap," to part of the DNA molecule, which prevents certain genes from being expressed. Another example is histone modification.