Climate and its impact on genetics and epigenetics (literature review)

Abstract

Introduction. Climate is one of the key environmental factors affecting biological systems. Climate change includes fluctuations in temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, and solar radiation levels that affect genetic processes and epigenetic regulation. The growth in pollutants in the environment has become a pressing global issue of international level [1]. Epigenetics is the study of transferable changes in gene activity without changing the DNA order, including methylation, histone modifications, and other mechanisms that affect gene expression. Aim: to conduct a review and analytical assessment of published statistical data examining the relationship between climate conditions and genetic as well as epigenetic modifications. Methods: This study was conducted as a narrative literature review with an analytical approach. Scientific articles published between 2010 and 2024 were identified through searches in major biomedical databases, including PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar [2,3]. The reviews were selected based on their importance for studying the correlation between climatic factors and genetic or epigenetic mechanisms. Preference was given to population studies, systematic reviews, and experimental work, which indicated statistical relationships between environmental factors and molecular genetic results. Publications dealing only with environmental influences unrelated to climate were excluded.