Science & Technology Practice Question›› General Science ››
Biology
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Epidemiology and Epigenetics
E
Question 1
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Consider the following statements:
1. Epidemiology refers to the study of distribution of disease in populations and their causes and preventions.
2. Epigenetics is defined as heritable changes in gene expression that occur without changes to the underlying DNA sequence.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 and 2
Explanation Statement 1 is correct: Epidemiology is the study of the distribution of disease in populations and the causes, consequences, prevention, and treatment strategies for those diseases. Epidemiologic studies complement mechanistic toxicologic studies, where associations observed in populations can be tested under controlled conditions in the laboratory, and conversely toxicology findings can inform epidemiology study designs.
Statement 2 is correct: Epigenetics is formally defined as heritable changes in gene expression that occur without changes to the underlying DNA sequence. Types of epigenetic regulators include DNA methylation, histone modifications, microRNA, and prions. The majority of epigenetic epidemiology studies have focused on DNA methylation due to its relative stability with storage and the multitude of technical platforms available for analysis. Epidemiologists have observed changes in late-life health status associated with early life environmental exposures, termed the Developmental Origins of Hypothesis of Adult Disease (DOHAD) or the Barker hypothesis.
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