Do genes determine our destiny?

We have probably thought many times that our destiny is predetermined by our genetic heritage. However, is that really so? Epigenetics, a relatively young scientific field of genetics, can help us find answers.

Its meaning literally translated from the Greek means what lies behind or outside the gene as the basic biological units of inheritance, located in the cell nucleus. Each of us receives from our parents a genetic heritage that contains instructions and information that build us up and make us who we are. But today we know that this is not the immutable information that our cells should follow for life.

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The name epigenetics was first mentioned by biologist Conrad Hal Waddington in 1942, however, the idea that human destiny is not entirely determined by genetic inheritance is not new. All the old traditions transmit the knowledge of the complex human nature which is made up not only of the physical but also of the energetic, emotional and mental level and, moreover, all of them together influence the activation of the genetic heritage. That is why it is important to look at the human being as a whole.

What is behind or outside the gene signifies reactions in our body triggered from the internal or external environment of each individual.

The internal environment of the body consists of the physical, energetic, emotional and mental aspects of man, and the external, for example, food, exercise, temperature, altitude, electromagnetic radiation, viruses, bacteria, the general environment in which we live, as well as lifestyle.

Epigenetics-man-and-dnaGenetic inheritance is activated, ie included or excluded from "reading" only when it receives a stimulus from the internal or external environment. With the help of stimuli, such as intense feelings or thoughts, we create signals that penetrate the receptors into the cell to the nucleus where they create chemical changes in genes. Epigenetic signals are key switches that decide whether genes will be activated and "read" or remain "unread". In the case of our body, “reading” means that new protein molecules will be built based on genes as a pattern.

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For example, when we cut a finger, the injured cells send an epigenetic signal to the cells around the wound which are then involved in the production of the corresponding protein and new healthy skin cells divide and form. If we are too preoccupied with a particular emotion, the signals we send to the cell will not be clear enough and the cells will not get the proper stimulus, and wound healing will take longer because most of the body’s energy is busy resolving emotions.

One of the school examples of epigenetic activity is the development of genetic diseases of identical twins. If we accept the idea that certain diseases are genetically conditioned, then identical twins have the same genes and the same genetic expression. However, in them the same disease does not manifest itself in the same way, and very often the genetic disease can be expressed in only one, without the other twin having the same health problem.

The following example is related to modern scientific research that indicates the impact of stress on the development of mental as well as physical diseases and disorders. The so-called positive stress, as the initial signal for the general endangerment of the organism, becomes dangerous when it is present for days, weeks and months. Such accumulated stress, among other things, prevents normal and conscious daily activities and ultimately causes changes in genes in the form of inflammatory processes.

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Rapid inflammatory processes represent a useful and short-term adaptation of the organism that increases the activity of the defense system in the fight against disease. However, constant inflammatory processes involve the production of inflammatory proteins that continue to form even when there is no real threat to the body. Such chronic inflammations are associated with an increased risk of cancer, asthma, arthritis, diseases of the vascular system and various forms of depression.

Previous research has confirmed that exercise such as tai chi chuan, yoga, breathing exercises, as well as various forms of emotional and mental therapies, in addition to relieving and reducing stress, also reduce the activity of genes associated with inflammatory processes.

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Changes in genes that a person acquires during life become certain records or information that are passed from parent to offspring. Therefore, the genes we “read”, in addition to being important to us now, will also be “read” and important to our offspring. We also pass on the habits we create through genes to our offspring.

Epigenetics-impact-on-man

Epigenetics therefore brings us an important message, and that is that our way of life affects not only the fundamental direction of our own destiny, but also what we will pass on to our descendants. Unlike the evolutionary theory according to which the physically strongest and most capable survive, epigenetics reminds us of traditional values, and that is that for a healthy and quality life, man should equally nurture the whole being. Thus man leaves the best legacy both to those with whom he shares this moment of life and to those who come after us.

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