The genes (code sequences stored in the DNA) are not modified. Epigenetics is a recent discovery that the genes can be muted or not expressed). The mechanism

The genes (code sequences stored in the DNA) are not modified. Epigenetics is a recent discovery that the genes can be muted or not expressed). The mechanism is that parts of the DNA strand often curl themselves up in a ball which prevents themselves from being replicated/expressed. Researchers are discovering there are many factors that influence this behavior.