When you say "just changes in methylation states" it makes it sound as if they don't have any function. Methylation is the mechanism to preserve cell-fate memor

When you say "just changes in methylation states" it makes it sound as if they don't have any function. Methylation is the mechanism to preserve cell-fate memory after division. Hence in theory it can also carry the information about the "age" of the cell into the daughter cells.