Download This is a paper I wrote for a documentary

Timothy Johnson
9/7/16
“Ghost in your Genes paper”
While watching the Nova episode, “Ghost in your Genes”, I found a few things surprising and
very new to me. While I thought I knew a good bit of genetics, and how they work, I was astounded by
how much I did not know. The very idea that a slight change in the makeup of our genetic code can be
life changing is mind boggling to me. Development of an entire new human being has always been
interesting to me, and the introduction of genetic “switches” has made this fascination all the more
prevalent.
“Ghost in your Genes” introduces the idea of epigenetic switches to its viewers. Epigenetic
switches are something that can turn parts of a gene “on” or “off”. For example, a disease that is
normally associated with a certain gene, can be turned “off” by these switches on the gene. When this
certain part of the gene is turned “off”, the disease does not present itself in the person. I found
epigenetic switches to be very interesting because I had never heard about them before. I had always
thought if you had something negative in your genes, you would automatically receive the negative
effects and you could not do anything about it. But these “switches” have given me an entirely different
view of genetics.
Another thing I found very interesting is that certain environmental factors can affect how
epigenetic switches behave. When researching epigenetics further on the Nova website, I discovered
that was an experiment done on female mice where they were exposed to a type of plastic in their food.
When the mice had their pups, the scientists found that the exposure to this plastic flipped a certain
epigenetic switch to the “on” position when it was supposed to be “off" in the pups. This part of the
“agouti” gene, as it was called, controlled whether the mice were overweight and had a yellow-orange
color fur. I found this very strange and fascinating at the same time. I was intrigued on how such a small
change on a gene can make such a big difference on a person or a different animal.
The final thing I found interesting is that a switch can be turned “off” or “on” using an
experimental substance. With this medicine scientists can turn a switch “on” or “off”. Someone like a
cancer patient could benefit if they have an epigenetic switch that encourages tumor growth. If a switch
like that is in the “on” position, the medicine could turn it off, and the battle against cancer could
progress positively. However, there can be drawbacks to this medicine. Malignant switches that were
originally turned “off” without the medicine, can be turned “on” with the medicine. In that case, the
patient’s condition could get very bad instead of just bad.
I thought “Ghost in your Genes” was a very interesting episode of Nova that dove a bit deeper
into a subject I was already interested in. Genetics is a very complicated subject, and this show really
uncovered how much more of a mystery genetics is a mystery to us.