Written by the Fiveable Content Team โข Last updated September 2025
Verified for the 2026 exam
Verified for the 2026 examโขWritten by the Fiveable Content Team โข Last updated September 2025
Definition
Hereditary factors refer to the genetic influences that are passed down from parents to their offspring. These factors can include traits, characteristics, and even certain predispositions or vulnerabilities to certain conditions or disorders.
Epigenetics refers to changes in gene expression caused by external factors such as environment or lifestyle choices, which can influence how our genes are expressed without altering the underlying DNA sequence.