Our phenotype includes not only physical features,but also behavioral outputs such as motor schemes and learned skills,and is the result of a complex interaction between genetic background and environment.In fact,a good fraction of last decades’biomedical efforts were dedicated to understanding how different elements(e.g.,genetic polymorphisms,lifestyle components)participate in this interplay,ultimately contributing to affect a given phenotype up to the point of steering it towards pathology.Genetic and epigenetic elements are relatively easy to analyze individually using a reductionist approach,for instance via loss-or gain-of-function studies in cellular and animal models;the effects of nutrients,drugs,pollutants can be similarly tested as single specific stimuli.
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