In: Biology
The Dutch Hunger Winter occurred in the winter of 1944-1945. Dutch people, who were unborn babies during that winter, show which patterns compared to Dutch people who were born before and who were born after that winter? [Select all that apply]
Group of answer choices
Higher levels of triglycerides and LDL cholesterol in adulthood
Higher rates of obesity in adulthood
Higher rates of diabetes in adulthood
Higher rates of schizophrenia in adulthood
Higher rates of age-specific death in adulthood
Higher rates of epigenetic silencing of the PIM3 gene
The Dutch hunger winter was a period of starvation, because of the Nazi's punishment by the blocking food supplies to Dutch people. The death rate was high among the people born before or after. So all the above mentioned health abnormalities were found in people during that period.
The children of pregnant women, exposed to famine were more susceptible to diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease, microalbuminuria and other health problems. The babies born were small and continued to small throughout their lives. Some people born in that time ended up a few pounds heavier than average , they had higher levels of triglycerides and LDL cholesterol , obesity, diabetes, schizophrenia. Study suggests that the Dutch hunger winter silenced certain genes in unborn children and that they have stayed quiet and ever since.
It has been identified that some molecules are used by the cell to program DNA, a molecular cap called methyl group is an example. This methyl group were linked both to the famine and health conditions later in life. One methyl group that is linked to a higher body mass index may be able to quiet a gene called PIM3, which is involved in burning the body fuel.