5 - Genes and Diet

Question 1

What are genes?

Answer 1

Parts of our DNA containing instructions to produce specific proteins

Question 2

What are gene variants?

Answer 2

Different forms of the same genes, effect may be positive, negative, harmful or harmless

They modify our response to diets

Question 3

What are single-gene defects?

Answer 3

Gene variants that are detrimental due to abnormalities at one gene

Mostly rare

Question 4

What do major health problems usually result from?

Answer 4

Interactions of multiple gene variants with dietary components and other environmental factors

Question 5

What is the epigenome?

Answer 5

The second layer of DNA structure, in the form of proteins and chemical tags.

Question 6

How does the epigenome inactivate genes?

Answer 6

The epigenome tightly wraps inactive genes, making them unreadable

Question 7

How does the epigenome activate genes?

Answer 7

The epigenome relaxes active genes, making them easily accessible

Question 8

What environmental factors interact with the epigenome, affecting gene expression?

Answer 8

Diet
Toxins
Physical activity
Stress

Question 9

How do epigenetic mechanisms affect gene activity?

Answer 9

Gene activity can be shut off or turned on

DNA sequence is unchanged