Emily Has Brittle Fingernails That Crack and Split Easily

question 62

Multiple Choice

Emily has brittle fingernails that crack and split easily.Emily's mother advises her daughter to take gelatin pills 3 times/day,because she has heard the practice strengthens fingernails.The mother's nutrition-related advice about the benefit of taking gelatin pills is an example of a(n)

• A)hypothesis.
• B)testimonial.
• C)anecdote.
• D)placebo.

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Definitions:

Myelination

The phenomenon in which glial cells wrap themselves around the axons of neurons, providing an insulating sheath that facilitates the conduction of electrical impulses.

Methylation

An epigenetic change that makes the expression of a gene less likely. It involves the addition of a methyl group (an organic molecule) to DNA, either to the coded gene or to regulatory DNA. Or, it can involve the addition of a methyl group to histones that bind with DNA.

Epigenetic Change

Modifications in gene expression caused by mechanisms other than changes in the underlying DNA sequence, influenced by environmental factors.

Gene Expression

The process by which the information encoded in a gene is used to direct the assembly of a protein molecule.