Abstract
The ability of a given genotype to produce different phenotypes in response to different environments is termed “plasticity,” and is part of the organism’s “adaptability” to environmental cues. The expressions of suites of genes, particularly during development or life history transitions, probably underlie the fundamental plasticity of an organism. Plasticity in developmental programming has evolved in order to provide the best chances of survival and reproductive success to organisms under changing environments. Environmental conditions that are experienced in early life can profoundly influence human biology, child growth and maturation, and long-term health and longevity. Developmental origins of health and disease and life history transitions are purported to use placental, nutritional, and endocrine cues for setting long-term biological, mental, and behavioral strategies for child growth and maturation in response to local ecological and/or social conditions. The window of developmental plasticity extends from conception to early childhood, and even beyond to the transition from juvenility to adolescence, and could be transmitted transgenerationally. It involves epigenetic responses to environmental changes, which exert their effects during life history phase transitions.
Highlights
The ability of a given genotype to produce different phenotypes in response to different environments is termed “plasticity,” and is part of the organism’s “adaptability” to environmental cues
The third process refers to plasticity, and this process occurs over the total life span of the individual, and may be carried forward for three to four generations
We have previously reported that the infancy–childhood transition (ICT) is a major determinant of final adult height, and a delayed ICT is the most common cause of idiopathic short stature (Hochberg and Albertsson-Wikland, 2008)
Summary
The ability of a given genotype to produce different phenotypes in response to different environments is termed “plasticity,” and is part of the organism’s “adaptability” to environmental cues. Adaptive plasticity enables a species to respond to an environmental change in order to survive and reproduce, and may manifest itself as polyphenism (alternative phenotypes in different environments, such as in metamorphosis) or as a continuous variation in traits. These adaptive responses adjust the developmental phenotype, and comprise a set of processes that can be triggered by a wide range of environmental cues in order to promote lifetime fitness.
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