Hormones and Heredity
Susan Kennedy
BEH/225
August 20, 2012
Rosa Grindel

Hormones and Heredity
Human behavior varies from individual to individual. The tendencies to commit a crime, to be more aggressive, or to be more intelligent are all indicators of human behavior. Biologically, speaking, these behavioral outcomes are a direct result of hormones and genes.
First, hormones are chemical substances released into the bloodstream by way of endocrine glands. Hormones guide such processes as metabolism, growth, and sexual development. Hormones have different affects based on gender. The nervous system and the endocrine system work together in a constant chemical conversation. The endocrine glans consists of Pineal gland, pituitary gland, parathyroid, thyroid gland, pancreas, adrenal glands, ovaries, and testes.
While hormones have clearly defined roles throughout one’s lifetime, genes, which affect heredity, are responsive to the environment and their role clearly changes with respect to the environment. It should be noted that heredity is not some sort of master puppet holding the strings and controlling the environment. As a matter of fact, genes change or evolve based on the environment hence explaining the reason why things such as mutations and variations occur. Therefore, the way heredity influences human behavior at one point in time may not necessarily be the same way it does years to come. Conversely, hormones are very specific in nature, their presence or absence may change but their role remains invariably the same. Consequently, both hormones and heredity affect human behavior but heredity is the foundation and hormones form the structural components (Faraone, 1999) .
When one talks about heredity they are fundamentally talking about genes or genetics because genes are the basic biological instruments responsible for transferring human characteristics from parents to their offspring. Consequently, all the major questions and controversies associated with genetics apply to heredity; one such example is the nature versus nurture controversy. Some individuals argue that nature is itself the most important determinant of an individuals’ characteristics. These researchers argue that our ability to learn, control our temper or be guided is largely determined by a genetic program that has nothing to with our surrounding. Therefore, heredity is the background behind the ‘natural’ part of this argument. On the other hand, others assert that our surroundings or the interactions we partake affects our behavior. This argument forms the backbone of the social learning theory.
The influences of hormones and heredity in human behavior are similar in that both form the backbone of the nature vs. nurture controversy and both are affected by each other. However, the two are different because heredity represents the unchanged while hormones fluctuate from time to time depending on the external environment.

References
Faraone, M. (1999). A guide for students, clinicians, and researchers. Genetics of Mental Disorders, 3(2), 272.
Morris, C., & Maisto, A. (2010). Understanding Psychology (9th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice hall.