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Theoretical physicists have confirmed that it’s not just the information coded into our DNA that shapes who we are – it’s also the way DNA folds itself that controls which genes are expressed inside our bodies.
That’s something biologists have known for years, and they’ve even been able to figure out some of the proteins responsible for folding up DNA. But now a group of physicists have been able to demonstrate for the first time through simulations how this hidden information controls our evolution.
Since the ’80s, scientists have found that the way DNA is folded up inside our cells actually controls this process. Environmental factors can play a big role in this process too, with things like stress known to turn certain genes on and off through something known as epigenetics.
But the mechanics of the DNA folding is the original control mechanism. That’s because every single cell in our body contains around 2 meters of DNA tightly wrapped up into a bundle called a nucleosome.
Read full, original post: Scientists just confirmed there’s a second layer of information hidden in our DNA
