From Mad in the Netherlands: Epigenetics is a relatively new field. It studies how environmental stimuli influence an organism to change the behavior and activities of its own genes and of its offspring based on its perceived environment. It turns out that this change in behavior and activity is then also passed on to the next generation. In other words, if you experience a situation or conflict, it can be passed on to the next generation. So it is an additional aspect to inheritance. An example of an environmental stimulus that influences the gene level is stress. Stress has many causes, including diet. Poor dietary habits of parents affect their genetic makeup and thus their children.