[Campbell Biology P.21] What core concept in biology is best illustrated by the examples pr... | Practice Question

What core concept in biology is best illustrated by the examples presented in Figure 18.8, particularly 'Effects of maternal diet on genetically identical mice' and 'The Dutch Hunger Winter'?

  • A: Genetic mutation leading to inherited diseases.
  • B: Direct alteration of an organism's DNA sequence by environmental factors.
  • C: Epigenetic inheritance, where environmental factors influence gene expression without changing the DNA sequence, and these changes can be heritable.
  • D: The principle of independent assortment during meiosis.

Explanation

Figure 18.8 provides examples of epigenetic inheritance. Both the 'Effects of maternal diet on genetically identical mice' and 'The Dutch Hunger Winter' demonstrate how environmental factors like diet or famine can lead to phenotypic changes without altering the underlying DNA sequence, and these changes can be passed down. This aligns perfectly with the definition of epigenetics, which focuses on heritable changes in gene expression.