How Maternal Smoking Changes DNA

Admin — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 01:30:41 +0000

The damage maternal smoking cause to a baby’s health is lifelong. The University of Southern California found that maternal smoking cause genetic changes through an epigenetic factor called DNA methylation .

DNA methylation is the process where small chemical compounds are added to DNA, and the manner how these chemicals attach to the DNA can cause the gene to be switched on and off, resulting in a change in gene expression even though the DNA sequence remain the same.

The changes in DNA methylation found were in the area of cancer and developmental related genes.

“During pregnancy, there is a natural process of methylation reprogramming where small chemical compounds are removed from the DNA bases and then reattached a short while later, so it’s reasonable to think that an environmental exposure could alter DNA methylation during this period, “says co-author Hyang-Min Byun.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090824182447.htm

Tobacco vs Marijuana

Admin — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 18:00:00 +0000

Many believe that because fewer chemicals are added to marijuana it is less harmful to your health than tobacco smoke. Scientists completed a study on the comparison between tobacco and marijuana with interesting results.
Marijuana cause considerably more damage to cells and DNA than tobacco smoke. However tobacco
smoke caused chromosome damage while marijuana did not.
Neither of which are good news.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090805110741.htm

Born Smart » Smoking and Drugs

How Maternal Smoking Changes DNA

Tobacco vs Marijuana