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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2015 Mar 27.
Published in final edited form as: Cell. 2014 Mar 27;157(1):95–109. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2014.02.045

Figure 1. Transgenerational and intergenerational epigenetic effects.

Figure 1

Epigenetic changes in mammals can arise sporadically, or can be induced by the environment (toxins, nutrition, stress). In the case of an exposed female mouse, if she is pregnant the fetus can be affected in utero (F1), as can the germ line of the fetus (the future F2). These are considered to be parental effects, leading to intergenerational epigenetic inheritance. Only F3 individuals can be considered as true trans-generational inheritance (see Box 1), in the absence of exposure. In the case of males in which an epigenetic change is induced, the individual (F0) and his germ line (future F1) are exposed; the F1 is thus considered as intergenerational. Only F2 and subsequent generations can be considered for evidence of trans-generational inheritance.