In what way does epigenetic change alter the development of a given person's phenotype?
A) It influences gene expression, the process by which DNA forms proteins that contribute to the features of living cells.
B) It inhibits the ability of a sperm cell and an egg cell to correctly "match" each of the 23 gene pairs, leading to chromosomal distortions.
C) It enhances the "strength" of recessive or mutated genes, so that they can no longer be masked by dominant alleles of the same gene.
D) It increases the likelihood that specific genes will work in singular form to cause a specific phenotype.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Epigenetic changes modify the activity of genes without altering the DNA sequence itself. They influence gene expression by turning genes on or off, thereby affecting the production of proteins that determine cell function and contribute to an organism's phenotype. This does not involve changing the genetic code, matching of sperm and egg cells, enhancing gene "strength," or causing genes to work singularly to produce a phenotype.

In What Way Does Epigenetic Change Alter the Development of a Given