Genetics
Epigenetics
Heritable changes in gene expression that occur without changes to the underlying DNA sequence. Chemical modifications that turn genes on or off and can be passed to offspring.
Biological Context
Epigenetic marks include DNA methylation and histone modifications. They explain how cells with identical DNA become different cell types, how environment affects gene expression, and how some acquired traits can be inherited. Epigenetics bridges nature and nurture.
Business Application
Organizations have 'epigenetics' too—practices and cultural norms that persist across generations of employees without being formally documented. These inherited behaviors shape organizational phenotype beyond explicit policy.