David Shenk describes the interaction between genes and the environment as a complex and dynamic process. Genes are not "straightjackets holding us in place; they are bungee cords waiting to be stretched and stretched." (46) He portrays the environment as a stimulus, whether it be positive or negative, the environment affects the development of our genes and can largely influence the expression of our genes. Environmental triggers such as speaking to children early and often, reading early and often, nurturance and encouragement, etc. are all environmental "stimuli" that positively influence the expression of genes in a child. (47) How do you think that these external actions can act as a positive influence to the extent that it affects the turning on, off, and the expression of genes. Do you think that these stimuli have only a single influence on a gene or as in epigenetics have an effect on multiple genes? Does this place a greater influence than ever before on the importance of good parental care and social influences?
Also, Shenk also states that "'children develop only as the environment demands development." (47) For example, Shenk stated one of the big reasons of Mozart's greatness was that he was "expected to be the pride and financial engine of the family." (63) Do you think then that having wealth, security, and complacency surrounding you is actually an evolutionary disadvantage?
Sara Lee
(yoojin3795@hotmail.com)
Argument
Parental care and related actions have tremendous influence on the genotype of their offspring and future generations. This influence is not over just a specific gene but rather is an epigenetic effect on several. Epigenetic inheritance is defined by Campbell to mean “inheritance of traits transmitted by mechanisms not directly involving the nucleotide sequence of a genome” (G-13). This means that certain genes can be active or inactive depending on our lifestyle and, in this case, our upbringing. Columbia University has collected several studies on epigenetics and parental care to analyze their findings. In these studies, they have evidence to believe that several factors, from parental nutritional to drugs/toxins affect to even the age/ development of the parent are important and that each “persistence of these paternal effects can have a significant impact on reproductive success [of the offspring]” (308). (hampagnelab.psych.columbia.edu/docs/curleyhb.pdf) Since good parental care provides a major evolutionary advantage, social influences would have the same effect. This puts a great emphasis on both factors to be positive for individuals and their offspring in order to effectively pass on their genetic traits.
ReplyDeleteWealth and security would not be a disadvantage, but rather an evolutionary advantage. In the experiment conducted by Hart and Risley, they found a “fifteen hundred more spoken words per hour” difference between professional and welfare homes (45). By age four there was a “total gap of 32 million words” between these children (46). So there is a correlation between a child mindset growth and demand of it, but there is also a correlation between wealth and demand on child development. Logically this does make sense. Parents who are better off will have higher expectations for their children and will encourage growth in abilities like vocabulary. These parents will also have access to resources like tutors while welfare home will try to accommodate their children’s basic needs like food and water as best as they can. There is an evolutionary advantage to this because, as stated above, positive parental care and social influence will lead to higher chances of passing down your genes.
Alvin Varghese (alvin.varghese@hotmail.com)