Paramutations

• Research has improved in recent times on the phenomenon of Paramutations.

ABOUT MUTATIONS

• Each cell in our bodies has 23 pairs of chromosomes.
  • One of each pair is inherited from each parent.
• Every chromosome contains one long DNA molecule plus several chromosomal proteins.
• The DNA is made of four compounds called base.
• A gene is a specific sequence of bases in the DNA.
• A mutation is any change in the sequence of base in the DNA of a chromosome.
  • A paramutation is a small chemical modification of a chromosomal protein: it flips a nearby gene into a silenced state.
  • So the active and silenced versions of a paramutated gene share the same DNA sequence but their associated proteins have different modifications.
  • Paramutations can protect humans against viruses.