Epigenetics

Adam Rutherford asks how much of our lives’ experiences, such as diet and pollution, is passed onto our children, as well as our genes. These changes are called epigenetic.

Throughout our lives our genes become changed by the environment – by things such as our diet, radiation, pollution and smoking. These events have consequences for our health. The view from classical genetics was that we don’t pass on any of these defects onto our children. When we reproduce, the genes in our eggs and sperm are wiped clean.

Learn more at BBC Radio 4.