Unraveling a mystery in the 'histone code' shows how gene activity is inherited
Thursday, March 13, 2014 - 13:00
in Biology & Nature
Every cell in our body has exactly the same DNA, yet every cell is different. A cell's identity is determined by the subset of genes that it activates. But how does a cell know which genes to turn off and which to turn on? While the genetic code carried in our DNA provides instructions for cells to manufacture specific proteins, it is a second code that determines which genes are in fact activated in particular cell types.