Epigenetic Regulation of the Mammalian Cell
Figure 1
Illustration of responses of the system to genotypic damage.
Panel A: A relatively small exposure to ionising radiation creates damage in the genomic DNA (red trace) which is detected and repaired by the cell. The prevailing home attractor, H, is perturbed but not irreversibly so, i.e. the basin of attraction is not exceeded and the system stays in the H attractor. Panel B: A larger exposure to ionising radiation but still within the capacity of the cell to repair causes the cell to exceed the basin of attraction of the home attractor, H, and stimulates the irreversible transition to the variant attractor V1.