The Epigenetics Revolution: How Modern Biology is Rewriting Our Understanding of Genetics, Disease, and Inheritance

Epigenetics has the potential to revolutionize our understanding of the structure and behavior of biological life on earth. It explains why mapping an organism’s DNA code is not enough to determine how it develops or acts and shows how nurture combines with nature to engineer biological diversity. Conducting a survey of the twenty-year history of the field while also showcasing its latest findings, this volume provides a solid introduction for grasping the foundations of epigenetics, the field’s recent discoveries and innovations, and its practical and theoretical applications. Epigenetics is now informing work on drug addiction, the long-term effects of famine, and the physical and psychological consequences of childhood trauma.

A leading epigenetics researcher, Nessa Carey also connects the field’s arguments to such diverse phenomena as how ants and queen bees control their colonies, why tortoiseshell cats are always female, why some plants need cold weather before they can flower, and how we age and develop disease. She concludes with future directions for research and the ability for epigenetics to improve human health and well-being. Published in the United Kingdom in 2011 and widely praised on both sides of the Atlantic, this new book is sure to become a classic in modern biology.