system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
Does DNA store meta-data about its history?

i.e. are there any segments of the DNA strand that might give away information about how the DNA has changed over time and, if so, how and where are these situated?
gpt
If you mean meta-data as in data-about-the-data way, then yes. This is called epigenetics. Generally, its used to switch off genes where they arent needed e.g. eye creating genes in your spleen. Its also possible to pass on the epigenetics effects that the environment has on your DNA though. So if a woman who is pregnant with a baby girl goes through a period of starvation or is exposed to a pathogen, this will alter the epigenetics of the eggs forming within the female fetus, causing altered gene expression two generations hence from the initial stimulus. you can see that when you test for position of epigenetic markers. There are other ways epigenetics are used but they get very complicated so Ill skip those for now.