...Nurture Assumption There are many factors that contribute to a child's development. Two of the biggest factors that contribute are genes and the environment. Some researchers view the development in children depend on the what is inherited from genetics and the child's environment. The gene-environment interaction states that genetic makeup causes individuals to have a difference in their responses to their environment. Some of these differences are intelligence and personality differences. Gene-environment correlation states that children's genes actually affect the environment that they live in. Child's age also plays a role in the nurture assumption and how much it actually affects the child. While the child is at a young age, the child...
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...The environment has lost the battle round. When it comes to Nature and Nurture we can all agree that they have been in the battlefield for way too long. Psychologists and scientists have been working their fingers to the bones to find an answer yet some might say “well, why even bother?” Well , I believe that it’s crucial to identify what inspires humans development in order to create an impact and lead a person to the right path in life. In my opinion, Genes have a bigger role in the human development than environment. The effect of genes is astonishing in our personalities, intelligence and talent. Genes are one of the important factors that shape our personalities. I almost certain that some people would argue that siblings have similar genes yet they have at times...
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...HUMAN GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT Interaction of Nurture and Nature (Concept, Distinction among Growth, Development and Maturation) Determinants of Growth and Development 1. Heredity (nature) The process of transmission of traits to the individual from parents to offspring through germ cells consisting of chromosomes and genes. Chromosomes – usually in pairs and each carries the genes which are the true carriers of hereditary traits. Types of Genes: a.) Dominant gene – a gene that is phenotypically manifested when paired with another gene like skin color or height. b.) Recessive gene – a gene carrying traits manifested after being dormant for several generations; a gene that is not produced when paired with a dominant one like baldness, color of the eyes, etc. Environment (nurture) Includes all the conditions inside and outside an organism that in any way influence its behavior, growth, development, or life processes. Two Sources of Environmental Influences: a.) Internal Environment – within organism which is subdivided into intracellular environment and extracellular environment. b.) External Environment – classified two--- physical and social. 3. Growth – the progressive increase and continuous advancement of the child from conception to maturity. It refers to the increment of bodily tissues, organs and structures. It designates changes which occur in time and is evidenced by increase in size, capacity, and proportions. It includes structural change (height and weight) and functional...
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..."Do Our Genes Influence Behavior?" "Do Our Genes Influence Behavior? Why We Want to Think They Do" Chronicle of Higher Education, November 26, 2004 A few weeks ago I was hurrying past a newsstand in Grand Central Station when the cover of the latest issue of Time stopped me short. Superimposed on a painting of a blue-skinned, red-lipped woman, her hands clasped in prayer, were the words "The God Gene." The article within reported that in a new book with that title, the geneticist Dean Hamer had traced belief in God to a specific gene. "Does our DNA compel us to seek a higher power?" Time asked. The article left me pondering a different question: Given the track record of behavioral geneticists in general, and Dean Hamer in particular, why does anyone still take their claims seriously? Behavioral genetics, which attempts to explain what we are and do in genetic terms, began with the English polymath Francis Galton, who in 1883 coined the term "eugenics" to refer to his proposal that humanity improve itself through judicious breeding. Galton's measurements of the physical and mental characteristics of various groups had convinced him that upper-class gentlemen like himself were innately smarter than poor white men, let alone "inferior races" like Africans. On a trip to Africa, however, Galton was mightily impressed with the physical endowments of Hottentot women, whose bodies he measured from afar with a sextant because he was too timorous to approach them. Galton's...
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...development; heightened cell division that can create tumor (neoplasm) * Dysplasia- The change in cells/tissue * Cancer cells go from being complex to primitive—which means cancer cells lose their shape, size and ability to function like normal cells * Cancer originates due to mutations within the DNA, in sequence of nucleotides of genes * Malignant tumors and neoplasms are referred to as cancer; benign neoplasms are NOT cancer * In situ tumors- Precurser to cancer/ precancerous * Very dangerous tumor cells (what’s detected in screenings) Causes of cancer: 1. If there’s mutation in the Proto-oncogenes (tumor suppressor genes), which code for proteins and regulates mitosis… then there will definitely be problem with normal cell division. 2. Carcinogens are substances or physical agents that lead to development of cancer when body is exposed to them. 3. General mutations due to internal/external factors can cause cancer. a. Internal factors- errors in DNA replication; Free radicals; errors in protein synthesis b. External factors- Infectious agents (bacteria/viruses); pollution and chemicals in environment; Radiation (sun); medical treatment (chemo); Lifestyle factors (diet, tobacco) Benign vs. Malignant * Benign * Tumors that stay in one place (Don’t spread to other parts of body) * Can be removed usually, with surgery * Usually encapsulated * Maintains normal cell structure/function (size and shape) ...
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...advances. Scientists can design and build DNA containing genes they want and then transfer these genes into bacterial cells that they can get to express those genes. This is a very basic technique that is used on a daily basis in a molecular biological laboratory. This is based on the natural function of a plasmid: to transfer genetic information vital to the survival of the bacteria. Transformation is an example of horizontal gene transfer. There are three mechanisms for horizontal gene transfer in bacteria. Conjugation is the transfer of DNA from one cell to another through conjugation pili. Transduction is the transfer of genes between bacterial cells using a bacteriophage (a type of virus). Transformation is the ability of cells to take up freely floating DNA found in the environment. Bacterial cells that are able to take up free-floating DNA from the environment are called competent cells. Bacteria are not always competent. When growth conditions are optimal, most bacteria cannot uptake DNA. In most cases, in response to some stimuli (such as stressor starvation), a cell can turn on the genes that allow it to become competent. In nature, as bacterial cells die, their cells are lysed, spilling their plasmid DNA into the environment. The DNA chromosome is broken up into chunks that float freely in the environment. A competent cell could take up one or more of the chunks. If a gene that is taken up is similar to a gene...
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...and the abiotic (nonliving) environments. In the biotic environment organisms acquire resources through completion, predation, and parasitism. The abiotic environment includes weather conditions, dependent chiefly on temperatures and precipitation. Directional selection occurs when an extreme phenotype is favored and the distribution curve shifts in that direction. Such a shift can occur when a population is adapting to a changing environment. Resistance to antibiotics and insecticides are examples of directional selection. The widespread use of antibiotics and insecticides (pesticides) results in populations of bacteria and insects that are resistant to these chemicals. When an antibiotic is administered, some bacteria may survive because they are genetically resistant to the antibiotic. These bacteria are most likely to pass on their genes to the next generation. Result, the number of bacteria keeps in increasing. Drug-resistant strains of bacteria that cause tuberculosis have now become a serious threat to the health of people worldwide. Because the genes of bacteria are varied, it is likely that there are some bacteria that carry genes which allow them to survive or resist antibiotics, because these genes allow them to survive they are likely to reproduce, more likely to reproduce with other bacteria of their species with the same gene that allows resistance to the antibiotic. This means that more of their offspring will also carry those genes and again reproduce and continue...
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...genetically modified organism is a plant, animal where the genes have been artificially changed using genetic engineering by adding in a new gene that doesn’t belong to change or improve the organism. The reason we modify organisms is essentially to combine different genes that don’t occur naturally. The discovery of GMOS has had significant impact positively and negatively on society benefits such as increased agricultural and risks such as the possibility of new diseases need to be considered but I believe positive such as creating more outweigh the negatives. Plants and animals can both be genetically modified but today I will be focusing on genetically modified plants. Genetically modifying organisms happens in 4 stages identifying a trait of interest, isolating that genetic trait, inserting that trait into the genome of a desired organism, and then growing the engineered organism. Identification of the gene of interest, researches search for a new gene of interest...
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...produce fertile offspring. A species is the biggest gene pool possible under natural conditions. If we look different does not mean we belong to different species. Organisms may appear to be alike and be different species, or may look different and be considered the same species. Racial differences are just phenotypic differences between subgroups of human species, but there are no barriers to reproduction, and we are considered the same species. For example, many bacteria reproduce mainly asexually. The bacterium is reproducing asexually, by binary fission. The definition of a species as a group of interbreeding individuals cannot be easily applied to organisms that reproduce only or mainly asexually. Genes are what code for the traits of an organism, and the offspring inherits at least some of the genes from the parent. Genes are the portions of an organism's DNA that carry the code responsible for building that organism in a very specific way. From generation to generation, molecular mechanisms reshuffle, and alter genes in a way that produces genetic variation. Without genetic variation, the basic mechanisms of evolutionary change cannot operate. Natural selection is one of the basic mechanisms of evolution. Natural selection encourages changes in the gene pool. Living organisms interact with their local environments and some live long enough to reproduce and some do not. The organisms that fit the environment are more likely to survive and reproduce. Movement...
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...Hello, I must admit this was a good chapter; I enjoyed reading about the brain. A gene is a distinct portion of a cell’s DNA. Genes are coded instructions for making everything the body needs, especially proteins (Kugler, 2014). Our genes are passed down to us from our parents, having two copies of each gene. Those genes are found in the different strands in our DNA, which is what makes everyone’s DNA is unique. Behavioral genetics examine the role that our genes play in our behavior. The impact of heredity (nature) is the physical looks and characteristics passed down (inherited) from our biological parents. Heredity includes someone’s height, skin color and health conditions. The impact of environment (nurture) is the different environments we are in, what religion and our culture. Evolutionary psychology is one of many biologically informed approaches to the study of human behavior. Along with cognitive psychologists, evolutionary psychologists propose that much, if not all, of our behavior can be explained by appeal to internal psychological mechanisms (Dowens 2014). I do agree with this but I also think that traits can be passed down from our biological parents because I get my attitude from my father and my father gets it from his father as well. I think this area has affected my brain in the way I think about my actions. Sometimes when I do something wrong I say “my dad went through the same thing or worse”. It could be that I inherited my father’s personality...
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...antifreeze originate? The fish antifreeze originated from an ancestral trypsinogen gene. The team at the University of Illinois came to this conclusion when they found shocking similarities between the antifreeze glycoproteins (AFGPs) and a trypsinogen gene. These similarities were between the AFGP exon and the sequence of the trypsinogen gene, between the 3’ end of the AFGP gene and trypsinogen, as well as between the two introns. All these similarities between the AFGP gene and trypsinogen gene were at least 90 percent identical. Not only that, but it was also found that the trypsinogen gene’s nine base pair segment encoded, by repeated duplication, tripeptide (Thr-Ala-Ala) repeats in the AFGP gene; which are the building blocks of AFGPs (Carroll, 178). Basically, the fish antifreeze originated from a gene that already existed. 2) What is a fossil gene? A fossil gene, or more commonly known as pseudogene, is a gene that is present but is inactive or “abandoned” (Carroll, 179). In the case of the icefish ancestors, the remaining alpha-globin gene is the fossil gene. 3) How do icefish obtain their oxygen? What might happen to icefish if the waters around the Antarctic became warmer? Icefish obtain their oxygen due to their cardiovascular system. Large gills and scaleless skin with large capillaries allow the icefish to “increase [their] absorption of oxygen from the environment” (Carroll, 180). They also have larger hearts and blood volumes to assist them in pumping...
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...Biology 160 Term Paper Genetically Modified Organisms INTRODUCTION There is a lot of controversy surrounding genetically-modified organisms and whether they ultimately do more harm than good. Genetically-modified organisms are most commonly used to refer to “crop plants created for human or animal consumption using the latest molecular biology techniques” (Whitman). The goal of modifying these organisms is to enhance or introduce a desired trait, such as increased resistance to herbicides or improving the nutritional content of the particular organism. This is generally done in a lab using a “Gene Gun” or an Agrobacterium method as described in detail in the next section. However, as convenient and simple as this idea sounds, there are many concerns that will more than likely change the course of future modifications in organisms. First, I'll be describing the methods used to date to modify the genetic composition of an organism. Then, I'll be highlighting the benefits and the potential consequences of genetically-modifying organisms. SCIENCE BEHIND GMO'S Upon researching, I discovered an interesting fact about genetically modified organism's: it has apparently occurred in nature for millions of years through a species called Agrobacterium tumefaciens, which turns out is the cause of crown gall diseases in many ornamental and fruit plants (Keefer). Agrobacterium tumefaciens is a species of soil-dwelling bacteria that has the ability to infect plant cells with a piece of...
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...and the abiotic (nonliving) environments. In the biotic environment organisms acquire resources through completion, predation, and parasitism. The abiotic environment includes weather conditions, dependent chiefly on temperatues and precipitation. Directional selection occurs when an extreme phenotype is favored and the distribution curve shifts in that direction. Such a shift can occur when a population is adapting to a changing environment. Resistance to antibiotics and insecticides are examples of directional selection. The widespread use of antibiotics and insecticides (pesticides) results in populations of bacteria and insects that are resistant to these chemicals. When an antibiotic is administered, some bacteria may survive because they are genetically resistant to the antibiotic. These bacteria are most likely to pass on their genes to the next generation. Result, the number of bacteria keeps in increasing. Drug-resistant strains of bacteria that cause tuberculosis have now become a serious threat to the health of people worldwide. Because the genes of bacteria are varied, it is likely that there are some bacteria that carry genes which allow them to survive or resist antibiotics, because these genes allow them to survive they are likely to reproduce, more likely to reproduce with other bacteria of their species with the same gene that allows resistance to the antibiotic. This means that more of their offspring will also carry those genes and again reproduce and...
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...transgenic organisms transgenic organisms (Genetically Modified Organisms) An organism whose genetic characteristics have been altered by the insertion of a modified gene or a gene from another organism using the techniques of genetic engineering. Explain how transgenic organisms work. What is the process? A flowchart is helpful: The genes of one species are modified, or transplanted into another organism. Transgenic Organisms are possible due to recombinant DNA technology (the procedure used to combine DNA segments) . This technology gives scientist the ability to practically cut, paste and copy molecules of DNA. This allows scientists to remove the gene from one organism and place it into another organism, giving it a trait encoded into that gene. Plants are commonly used in these experiments, the flowchart shows this process. The steps in the process are: The plasma is removed from bacterium, and the T-DNA is cut by a restriction enzyme Foreign DNA is cut by the same enzyme The foreign DNA is inserted into the T-DNA of the plasmid...
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...This is because many diseases occur because of the environment. These acquired mutations are caused by the environment and not inherited genomes. (Genesinlife, 2015) For example, skin cancer could be caused by naevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome or Xeroderma pigmentosum which is an inherited medical condition. Carcinoma Syndrome causes defects and problems with the skin and nervous system. Xeroderma pigmentosum causes the skin to not be able to repair the damage that the sun has caused the skin, Yet, if parents genetically modify their child and remove the gene that will give their child skin cancer, it does not mean that the child will not get skin cancer. The child might be genetically modified and has had the gene that gives them skin cancer removed, the child could, later on, get skin cancer because of actinic keratosis, Psoriasis and Eczema treatment. Actinic Keratosis can cause skin cancer because of the sun’s UV radiation which damages skin cells and mutates them. To add, the disease psoriasis is PUVA which is an ultraviolet light treatment and the ultraviolet light creates skin cancer. Finally, Eczema treatment can...
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