Epigenetics: A Historical Overview

Epigenetics: a historical overview.

In the first half of the twentieth century, developmental biology and genetics were separate disciplines. The word epigenetics was coined by Waddington to link the two fields. Epigenetics could be broadly defined as the sum of all those mechanisms necessary for the unfolding of the genetic programme for development. Several decades later specific mechanisms were proposed in which information wa...

RTV4HCI: A Historical Overview

Epigenetics and Evolution: An Overview

After many years of neglect, the developmental aspect of heredity and its place in evolution are now receiving attention. In this overview, I discuss the relationship between epigenetic inheritance (mainly cellular epigenetic inheritance) and biological evolution. I point to six effects and implications of epigenetic inheritance that are important for evolutionary studies: (i) evolution can occ...

Discovering Metals— A Historical Overview

THE ANCIENT WORLD passed from the Stone Age through the Bronze and Iron Ages to our modern developed society—a society that is dependent on metals and alloys for its very existence. However, an impressive body of metallurgical knowledge developed in the thousands of years since ancient man first found copper and became curious enough to investigate the behavior of this naturally occurring, rela...

Neonatal hematology: a historical overview

Ancient concepts of the blood were described by Hippocrates and Galen 2000 years ago in their doctrine of “humors.” It was believed that the body was made up of four humors – blood, phlegm, black bile, and yellow bile – and that these four componentshadthequalitiesofheat(“hot-blooded!”),cold, moist, and dry. The Galenic concept of the blood prevailed through the Middle Ages. Health or disease w...