Introduction to the study of epigenetics -- The basis of the transcription process -- DNA packaging and chromatin architecture -- Modifying the structure of chromatin -- DNA methylation -- Post-translational modification of histones -- Histone modification machinery -- Locus-specific control of histone-modifying enzyme action -- Epigenetic control of cell-specific gene expression -- Epigenetic control of the mitotic cell cycle -- The epigenetic basis of gene imprinting -- Epigenetic control of cellular differentiation -- Reversibility of epigenetic modification patterns -- Epigenetic predisposition to disease and imprinting-based disorders -- Epigenetics of memory, neurodegeneration, and mental health -- Epigenetics of cancer.

The concept of epigenetics has been known about since the 1940s, but it is only in the last 10 years that research has shown just how wide ranging its effects are. It is now a very widely-used term, but there is still a lot of confusion surrounding what it actually is and does.Epigenetics is a new textbook that brings together the structure and machinery of epigenetic modification, how epigenetic modification controls cellular functions, and the evidence for the relationship between epigenetics and disease. It is a valuable source of information about all aspects of the subject for undergraduate students, graduate students, and professionals.