Epigenetic Modulation by Isothiocyanates

The field of epigenetics has rapidly expanded since French biologist Jean Baptiste Lamarck revealed that organisms inherit the traits acquired during their parents’ lifetime or the “inheritance of acquired characters.” Lamarck revealed that living things evolved in a continuously improved direction, from natural matter through simple to more complex forms, toward human development. According to Lamarck, organisms alter their behavior in response to environmental change. Their changed behavior, in turn, modified their organs, and their offspring inherited those improved structures. For example, giraffes developed their elongated necks and front legs through generations of browsing on high tree leaves. Stretching up to the leaves altered the neck and legs, and their offspring inherited these acquired characteristics.