The chemical tags that are attached to DNA, known as the epigenome, can potentially be altered by the environment. These tags change the amount of protein that is produced from the genes by making them more or less active.
Traits are frequently influenced by environmental factors rather than genetics. Although not always. Sometimes a gene's DNA sequence or degree of activity is altered by the environment.
The proteins that a gene produces can be replaced by either of these effects, which in turn impacts characteristics.
The nucleotide sequence of a gene may alter as a result of some harmful environmental influences. DNA strands, for instance, can be damaged by UV light.
Certain pollutants, such as those found in plastic and cigarette smoke, can change how DNA bases behave chemically, allowing one DNA base to stand in for another.
