Epigenetics Links

Epigenetics Links

Starting with the easiest one. . .Hank from scishow (subscribe!!) explains epigenetics:

And Scitable, the student section of Nature Online, explains some of the history of the discovery of epigenetics. (Again, subscribe. This is a great place to get free, reputable science information that’s easy to understand.)

Three videos of talks from Harvard graduate students about epigenetic studies in mice. Part 1, part 2, and part 3. They’re a good introduction, but make note that the longevity of the epigenetic effect described turned out to be not quite as promising as they thought it would be back when these were made.

FAQ about the epigenome from the National Human Genome Research Institute.

A good overview, maybe not for an absolute novice, but it comes with pictures: Epigenetics

P. Z. Myers gives an overview from the perspective of a university biology professor.

Jerry Coyne, author of “Why Evolution is True”, has several good posts about it on his blog, here, here, here, here, and here.

ERV gets into some of the more complex aspects of what it is here.

Kevin Mitchell goes into some of the problems surrounding epigenetics and its misunderstanding. Part 1 and part 2.

And, of course, the incomparable Orac both explains what epigenetics is and how it’s not what quacks are telling you it is here. Not only will you understand it better, but you’ll be able to spot the lying liars.

A study on the possible epigenetic changes in twins.

Questions begin to arise about the heritability of environmental epigenetic changes, and whether animal models translate to humans in this study from Nature.

Wednesday Links

Wednesday Links

A collection of photos that show beauty in decay.

Did the ancient Egyptians play Dungeons and Dragons?

Now I’m going to have to learn more about mitochondrial DNA – P.Z. Myers explains why your mother’s mDNA might influence your lifespan.

It looks like the FDA is finally putting the moves on fake cancer doctor Stanislaw Burzynski

But the FDA is powerless right now when it comes to protecting us from other, potentially more dangerous medical threats. Now that Massachusetts has finally gotten its act together and actually inspected its compounding pharmacies, only 4 out of 37 passed.

Greg Laden goes to visit a creationist science fair. At least these kids are homeschooled. Some politicians want us to pay for this kind of education with our tax dollars.

And, finally, OTTERZ!! BAYBEEE OTTERZ!

Antidepressants – A Primer

Antidepressants – A Primer

Antidepressants have come a long way. Our understanding of the biological and neurological bases for depression has expanded vastly, and the number of treatment options have increased and improved so that they can be better targeted towards individual symptoms. Public knowledge has not kept pace; thanks to poor science education and journalism and the dissemination of false information by special interests, people understand much less about depression and its treatment than they should.

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