Epigenetics is the study of heritable changes in gene expression or cellular phenotype that do not involve alterations in the underlying DNA sequence.
While primarily an interdisciplinary field that synthesizes the mechanics of biochemistry with the inheritance laws of genetics, Epigenetics also functions within a multidisciplinary framework in its broader applications. It serves as the bridge between the stable "hardware" of the genome and the dynamic signals of the environment. The primary goal of this field is to understand the mechanisms that determine when and where specific genes are turned "on" or "off," thereby dictating cell identity, function, and response to environmental stimuli.
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