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Depression Can Physically Alter Your DNA
by Caroline Reid
iflscience
Depression doesn’t just change your mentality—it also leaves marks on your DNA, report scientists from the Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics (WTCHG). The finding was so surprising that the scientists initially met it with skepticism and admit that they required a substantial amount of convincing to believe it was not merely a coincidence.
As described in Current Biology, the discovery began with an examination of the DNA of over 11,000 people, many of whom had a history of stress-related depression, but healthy controls were also included for comparison. Initially, scientists were searching for a gene associated with an increased risk of depression. Instead, researchers noticed that stress-related depression correlated with an increase in the amount of the cell's second genome: mitochondrial DNA.
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| photo credit: RAJ CREATIONZS, via Shutterstock. Image shows 3D representation of Mitochodria |
Every Day is Earth Day
Source: http://www.riseearth.com/2015/05/depression-can-physically-alter-your-dna.html
