Question

Jenn and Clara are identical twins. Jenn developed schizophrenia when she was 19, but Clara shows no symptoms of the disorder and enjoys life as a college student. Jenn was sexually abused by an uncle at the age of 8 but Clara was never exposed to any abuse. While both have identical genes, the difference between the two may be due to:

Answer 1

Answer: epigenetic mechanisms

Explanation: Epigenetics is the study of heritable changes in gene expression that occur without any accompanying changes to the basic DNA sequence, which ultimately results in a change in the observable characteristics (phenotype) without a change in the genotype(genetic traits).

Epigenetics creates a layer of control that determines which genes are active and which genes are dormant in particular cells in the body, and can be influenced by certain factors like age and environment.

The difference in genetic expression between Jenn and Clara could be attributed to Jenn's abuse when she was 8years old and this may have triggered Jenn's schizophrenia.