№ 7-2011
Soon, instead of horoscopes and psychological tests, we will look into chromosomes. Science has already accumulated a lot of information about how human genes and his psyche are connected. If you believe representatives of the science of psychogenetics, then aggression, altruism, intelligence and many other qualities are determined not only by upbringing, but also by heredity
Now you can work with DNA and look for which molecules control behavior... Science will explain what we do not understand now - behavior, these words were said by the famous Nobel laureate James Watson in an interview with the Russian Reporter when he visited Moscow two years ago. The discussion was about what significant discoveries should be expected.
Until recently, there was only one tool for studying the connection between genes and the psyche - identical twins. Scientists were literally hunting for brothers or sisters who were lucky enough to be born with the same set of genes. Those specimens that were raised in different families were considered especially valuable: only in this case can the influence of the environment be relatively clearly separated from the contribution of genes. And even then, such experiments cannot be called completely correct, because families, although different, usually belong to the same culture. Now, if one child grew up from infancy in the family of an American millionaire, and his identical twin brother was raised by an Indian peasant, then the data would be objective.
But the revolution in molecular biology has not left the behavioral sciences behind. Since the 1990s, there has been a search for specific genes that influence behavior and character.
Back in the school biology course, we were taught that the same gene can be present in different variants - remember the story about the monk Mendel and the bean flowers? The human psyche is not a phenomenon as simple as the color of a flower. But personality traits can be measured using tests. And then see which variant of a particular gene is present on the chromosomes.
Of course, it's not that simple. Each personality trait can be influenced by hundreds of genes. We must not forget that it is not the mental qualities themselves that are inherited, but the biological factors that influence them. The role of genes is most similar to the volume control of a radio: you can turn the sound up or down, but the words of the song will not change. In the same way, genes can increase a person’s aggressiveness, but where he directs this aggression - to punch faces or to write thrillers - depends on his upbringing, education and culture.
Altruism
Since kindergarten, we have been accustomed to dividing people into good and evil. The good ones are those who let us play with their cars, and the evil ones are those who don’t. And what is written about this in the genetic map, where is the “gene for good”? There is such a gene. It was found in 2010 by a group of scientists from the University of Bonn. After analyzing the DNA of students who were more likely to donate money to charity, they zeroed in on the COMT gene. It is associated with the production of substances such as dopamine, oxytocin and vasopressin, which belong to the class of neurotransmitters; their dynamics regulate our social behavior.
In humans, two variants of this gene are approximately equally distributed: COMT-Val and COMT-Met. Those who receive a COMT-Val give on average twice as much to charity as those who receive a COMT-Met.
A consolation for “natural egoists” can be the fact that manifestations of kindness are also associated with many other genes. But if in a person’s genetic passport COMT-Met is combined with “bad” variants of the OXTR and AVPR1 genes, which also affect people’s tendency to perform noble deeds, then you are probably looking at an insensitive egoist, no matter how much he proves the opposite!
Aggression
In the old days, theologians liked to argue about whether evil has its own essence or comes from a lack of goodness. Genetics clearly shows: in addition to weak variants of “good genes”, there are actually “evil genes” that force people and animals to behave aggressively.
The Dutch geneticist Hans Brunner stumbled upon one of these genes while studying a family in which three generations of 14 men were real villains and inveterate criminals. Each of them was characterized by impulsive outbursts of rage. It turned out that they are associated with a mutation in the gene encoding the enzyme monoamine oxidase-A. We conducted an experiment. This gene was “spoiled” in the mice, and the mutant rodents began to violently attack their fellows. Obviously, the plots of films like “28 Weeks Later” or “I Am Legend” are not so fantastic.
And yet, in this case, we are more likely talking about a rare disease: this mutation is very low in frequency. And there are so many villains! There are other mutations among people that do not completely turn off the enzyme, as in that ill-fated family, but weaken its action. Studying such people, scientists found that if they are brought up in favorable conditions, they are no different from other boys and girls, but in bad conditions they tend to behave much more aggressively than their peers.
By the way, a group of researchers from Moscow State University led by Marina Egorova showed in 2009 that people can have a “fighting gene.” But if they have developed executive functions - self-control, the ability to set goals and plan their behavior - then they, on the contrary, will be distinguished by a tendency towards empathy and tolerance, that is, precisely those virtues that aggressors so lack. So genes are genes, but you shouldn’t forget about upbringing.
Happiness
Each, of course, is the architect of his own happiness, but still it has to be forged from the material that nature has provided us with. Unfortunately, some people are born more prone to anxiety and depression than others. Twin studies conducted by Ken Kendler showed that anxiety and depression are 40-50% determined by heredity. The “substance of happiness” was found - the neuropeptide serotonin, the deficiency of which causes us anxiety and bad mood. Antidepressants, such as the famous Prozac, increase the effect of serotonin.
One of the genes that regulates the amount of serotonin in the brain was studied by D. Murphy and P. Lesch. This gene, a regulator of the serotonin transporter called 5HTT, is distributed in two variants. One promotes anxiety and melancholy, while the other does the opposite.
By the way, the first variant of this gene significantly increases the likelihood of outbursts of aggression, once again confirming the connection between aggression and unhappiness. In general, if, when distributing genetic cards, you received an unlucky 5HTT variant, it is better not to skimp and install the lucky one instead. Of course, if technology allows.
Intelligence
Scientists began tinkering with “genes of the mind” back in the middle of the 20th century, using the twin method. There were many scandals, disputes and even accusations of falsification of results. The discussion sometimes turned from scientific to political. Conservatives believed that intelligence could only be inherited from noble parents, while leftists insisted on universal equality and called for improving the education system. Now the passions have calmed down a bit. It is believed that intelligence is either half or two-thirds determined by genes. The question is - which ones exactly?
The discovery of the “intelligence gene” was first announced back in 1997 by Robert Plomin, who showed that the majority of the child prodigies he studied had the same altered IGF2R gene. This variant of IGF2R is thought to be associated with more efficient absorption of carbohydrates by the brain. The influence of this gene can explain the change in IQ by 4 points, which is not at all small.
Masculinity
There is no doubt that many genes of a “real man” are located on the Y chromosome: only males have it, and genes useful to males should accumulate on it. The journal Nature even published a comic map of the Y chromosome, which contained genes for love of beer, football and action movies, memory for jokes, inability to make romantic speeches, and so on. In reality, all these traits are not directly controlled by genes, but are the result of brain poisoning by the male sex hormone testosterone. But the details of how these genes work are still unknown.
But something else is known: dominant males are not born. There is such a beautiful aquarium fish - haplochromis. In the presence of a dominant male, subordinate males are ugly, almost colorless, are not interested in females and sit quietly in a corner. But as soon as the dominant is caught, the egr1 gene turns on in the hypothalamic neurons of the subordinate male, triggering full production of the sex hormone, and the former quiet one rapidly transforms, acquiring color, gloss and coolness.
Similar changes occur in the brains of primates, including humans: under the influence of the situation, the behavior of others and one’s own thoughts, entire ensembles of genes can turn on and off in a matter of minutes.
Constancy in love
Let's start from afar. Two species of small rodents live - the prairie and mountain voles. Outwardly, they are difficult to distinguish: mice - they are mice. But the males of the prairie vole, having chosen a female, remain faithful to her all their lives, but the males of the mountain vole are promiscuous and indifferent to the offspring.
Love to death in male rodents, as in human males, is associated, among other things, with a neurotransmitter called vasopressin. If this vasopressin is injected into a male monogamous vole, he will fall in love with the first female he meets forever, but if his receptors that respond to vasopressin are blocked, he will begin to be promiscuous.
The difference in behavior between faithful and unfaithful mice depends on the variant of the vasopressin receptor gene. By changing this gene, you can force a polygamous male to become a faithful husband. Now it’s clearly time to move on to the people.
A 2006 study in Sweden found that men with one of the RS3 334 gene variants were half as likely to have a romantic relationship leading to marriage as others. If they do marry, they are twice as likely to be unhappy in their marriages, and their wives are more likely to be dissatisfied with their family relationships. Now do you understand why all girls should study molecular biology?!
Homosexuality
The number of species of living creatures in which zoologists have observed homosexual contacts is approaching five hundred, and all of them are much calmer about same-sex love than we are. Maybe it's a matter of genes and not Western propaganda?
And yet, yes, studies by J. Bailey and R. Pillard showed that identical twins are 50% similar in homosexuality, while fraternal twins are only 24%. All that was left to do for a press sensation was to discover the “homosexuality gene,” and soon it was found by Dean Hamer: the Xq28 region on the upper end of the long arm of the X chromosome will serve as a mark in your genetic passport about an increased likelihood of craving for members of the same sex. Check this section before posting your genome transcript online!
For a long time, scientists were haunted by the question of why the genes for homosexuality were not weeded out by natural selection - after all, love is love, and children do not come from such relationships. One of the most popular theories states that homosexuality is a consequence of selection for bisexuality. “Feminized” bisexuals could survive in male communities, finding friends and patrons during long military campaigns, and they were also in demand among women because they were non-aggressive and caring fathers.
Religiosity
Scientists, for whom, as we know, nothing is sacred, have suggested that religiosity may also be associated with genes. Indeed, there is evidence that identical twins are more similar in matters of spirituality.
And in 2004, Dean Hamer (the same brawler who discovered the “homosexuality gene”) published the book “The God Gene: How Faith is Enshrined in Our Genes,” in which he linked different variants of the VMAT2 gene with a tendency toward religiosity and its absence. Spiritual people, not to mention dignitaries, of course, were enraged by such a harmful book. And they were absolutely right: the test showed that variations in VMAT2 explain only about 1% of the differences in religiosity, and the quality of the study itself, published not in a scientific journal, but only in the form of a popular book, is questionable. But it made the cover of Time.
Passion for adventure
The D4DR gene on chromosome 11 encodes a receptor for dopamine, a substance associated with the functioning of the pleasure center in our brain. A mouse with a damaged dopamine gene wants nothing and eventually dies of starvation, but once a dose of dopamine is injected into its brain, it becomes extremely inquisitive, prone to risk and recklessness. People who lack dopamine also become inhibited and lacking initiative, and those who have too much of it are constantly looking for new sensations.
The D4DR gene has “short” and “long” variants. People with the long variant are less sensitive to dopamine, so they need something special to feel that internal reward. Dean Hamer, who also had a hand in D4DR research, in his typical manner called it the “adventure gene.” If your genetic map shows the long D4DR variant, you are likely to be easy-going, inquisitive and eccentric, with a tendency to break rules. In addition, possessing this gene variant increases the risk of alcoholism and drug addiction.
However, everything is not so scary: according to Hamer, this gene determines only 4% of the tendency to adventure, although in general it depends on genes by 40%. It’s just that it, like other personality traits, is influenced by dozens and hundreds of genes. Who said that psychogenetics is easy?
Political preferences
At one time, Karl Marx was looking for the basis, the basis of any ideologies in economics. Now it is fashionable to look for such a basis in the brain, or even directly in the genes. A number of independent studies of separated twins have shown that adherence to conservative or liberal ideology is largely heritable: at least a third of the variability in political views is explained by genes. Often, already in preschool age, it becomes clear whether a person, when he grows up, will be a “soiler” or a “reformer.”
The first contender for the proud title of the “liberalism gene” is the same long version of D4DR, associated with a love of everything new (“conservatism gene” is a short version of D4DR). But for a long time it was not possible to prove the connection between variants of this gene and political preferences.
Only at the end of 2010, an article by J. Fowler was published, in which, based on data from a long-term study, he showed that this connection is not direct, but depends on a combination of two factors: the gene variant and the number of friends in youth. The likelihood that you are a freethinker increases sharply if the person has a long version of D4DR, and he had many friends at school and college.
They explain it this way: if a person who loves everything new communicates with a large number of different people in his youth, he learns to be sympathetic to differing views on the world and in the future will be more tolerant of unconventional ideas, that is, he will become a liberal.
As we see, a genetic map is still not enough to predict exactly how many genes will “play” in human behavior.
Perhaps everyone has ever heard such phrases: “just like your father,” “an apple from an apple tree...”, “she looks like her mother.” All this suggests that people note family similarities. Human heredity is the ability of an organism at the genetic level to transmit its own traits to the future generation. There is no direct and effective influence on this, however, there are certain ways to prevent the development in a person’s character of negative traits received from parents or other ancestors.
What is inherited
According to research, any individual can pass on to his offspring not only any external traits or diseases, but also his attitude towards people, temperament, and abilities in science. The following positive and negative characteristics of a person are inherited:
- Chronic diseases (epilepsy, mental illness, etc.).
- Possibility of producing twins.
- Alcoholism.
- Tendency to break laws and
- Suicidal tendencies.
- Appearance (eye color, nose shape, etc.).
- Talent for any creativity or craft.
- Temperament
- Facial expressions, voice timbre.
- Phobias and fears.
This list shows only some of the traits that are inherited. Do not despair if one of the negative characteristics occurs in you or your parents; it is not at all necessary that it will be fully revealed in you.
Is it possible to influence heredity by determining that a person has a predisposition to breaking the law? According to psychological and sociological research, a negative situation can only be prevented if certain conditions are met.
Influence of genes
Genetics has proven that a person exactly adopts the preferences and fears of his parent. Already during the formation of the fetus, a certain laying occurs, which will subsequently make itself felt, manifesting itself under the influence of any factors.
Is it possible to influence heredity? Social science, like other sciences about society and man, agree on one thing here: yes, it is not only possible, but also necessary to influence it. Despite the fact that an individual's genes and behavioral characteristics are closely interrelated, heredity does not predetermine his future. For example, if the father is a thief or a murderer, then it is not at all necessary that the child will become one. Although the likelihood of such a development of events is still high, and the descendant of a criminal is more likely to end up behind bars than a child from a prosperous family, this may still not happen.
Many parents, having discovered an alcoholic or a criminal in the family tree, wonder whether it is possible to influence heredity. It is impossible to answer this question briefly, since there are various factors that aggravate the development of hereditary predispositions. The main thing is to promptly detect negative characteristics that are inherited and prevent their further development, protecting the child from temptations and nervous breakdowns.
Heredity and character traits
With help, parents pass on to their children not only a predisposition to certain negative life situations, but also character and temperament. For the most part, the manner of communicating with others has “natural” roots - heredity. Genetic behavior is more often used by children and adolescents due to their not fully formed character.
The further development of a person’s character traits and behavioral characteristics is influenced by temperament, which is transmitted only by inheritance. It cannot be acquired or developed; it consists of the traits of the mother or father (grandfather, grandmother, uncle and others) or from a mixture of several characteristics of the parents’ behavior. It is the temperament that determines how a child will behave in the future, as well as what place he will occupy in society.
Is it possible to influence heredity? (5th grade, social studies). Answer to the question
You can often find statements that heredity can be influenced by direct intervention in human genes. However, science is not yet developed enough to influence the body at this level. Heredity can be influenced through the educational process, training, psychological training, as well as through the influence of society and family on a person.
Factors influencing the inheritance of behavior
In addition to genetic transmission, there are other ways to copy parental traits in a child's behavior. There are factors and certain conditions under which children begin to adopt and inherit behavior and attitudes to life from adults:
- Family. The way parents treat each other and how they treat the child penetrates deeply into his “subcortex” and is consolidated there as a normal model of behavior.
- Friends and relatives. Children's attitude towards strangers also does not go unnoticed - they adopt the behavioral characteristics of their parents and subsequently communicate with others in this way.
- Life, living conditions.
- Material security (poverty, prosperity, average standard of living).
- Number of family members. This factor has a greater impact on the future of the child, on who he chooses to start a family.
Children completely copy their parents, but is it possible to influence heredity in this case? Yes, but it completely depends on the parents. For example, if a father constantly drinks and beats his wife, then in the future the son will be prone to cruelty towards women, as well as alcoholism. But if love and mutual assistance reign in the family, then the effect will be exactly the opposite of the previous example. It is worth remembering that boys copy their fathers, and girls copy the behavior of their mothers.
Is it possible to influence heredity and why is it worth doing?
The genetic predisposition to dangerous diseases itself cannot be eliminated, but the likelihood of developing the disease can be significantly reduced. To do this, you need to lead a healthy lifestyle, not overexert yourself, and exercise in moderation. It is imperative to try to influence heredity, as this will allow you to remain healthy for a long time.
Is it possible to influence heredity by trying not to give in to temptations? This option is convenient, but only until the moment a person loses self-control due to a nervous breakdown or other negative situation (psychological shock, for example). It is necessary to influence heredity not only through control over your weaknesses, but also through your social circle. After all, a teetotaler will never drink unless there is a reason for it: a marginal close circle or a tragedy that has shaken him.
Psychogenetics describes how hereditary factors affect the functioning of the psyche of animals and people. Which mental illnesses are genetic and which are not? Can genes determine character? Is the tendency to commit criminal acts hereditary? Psychogenetics answers all these questions. T&Ps talk about what scientists do within that scientific field.
In the English-language literature, the term “behavioural genetics” is used to define psychogenetics. Some scientists say the discipline lies at the intersection of psychology, neuroscience, genetics and statistics; others consider it a branch of psychology that simply uses genetic techniques to study the nature and origins of individual differences in humans and animals. The latter definition seems to be closer to the essence of this scientific direction, since its focus is on the structure and work of the psyche, and the genetic component rather seems to be a factor that influences it.
Psychogenetics of gender: a boy who was raised as a girl
Differences in behavior between people of different sexes is one of the issues that this field deals with. A textbook example that determined modern ideas about the psychogenetics of gender is the case of David Reimer, a boy who was raised as a girl. David (who had a twin brother) was born into a poor Canadian family and suffered an accident as an infant in which he lost his penis. The Reimers could not find a way out of this situation for a long time, and then accidentally learned about the theory of John Money (the creator of the term “gender”), who was sure that the gender role is determined by upbringing, and not by DNA. There was no data to refute this at that time.
The level of development of surgery did not allow for reconstructive surgery, and David's parents decided to undergo gender reassignment surgery, hoping to raise their son as a daughter. The child was given a new name - Brenda. Brenda had toys, clothes and activities for girls, her brother treated her like a sister, and her parents treated her like a daughter. However, it soon became clear that both psychologically and externally the girl was developing according to the masculine type. Brenda did not have good relationships at school (she was not interested in her peers, and the boys did not want to play with the girl), and she wrote in her diary that she had “nothing in common with her mother.” Eventually, the girl began to think about suicide, and then her parents decided to tell her the truth. Brenda made three unsuccessful suicide attempts, after which she decided to become a boy again. She underwent hormonal therapy and underwent surgery to restore primary sexual characteristics.
Dr. Money's theory was refuted. David was paid significant compensation for the suffering he endured, but his psychological problems were never fully resolved. As an adult, Reimer married and adopted three children, but soon after the death of his brother, who died from an overdose of antidepressants, he committed suicide. At that time he was 38 years old.
Today we know that gender is determined genetically. It is impossible to make a person a man or a woman through upbringing, pressure or manipulation: the mechanisms inherent in genetics are incomparably stronger than all this. That is why people diagnosed as transgender today are prescribed sex reassignment surgery to bring their biological sex into line with their psychological one.
Phenylketonuria: attack on neurons
The influence of genetic mechanisms on the functioning of the psyche can manifest itself not only in fundamental issues such as gender. Another example is phenylketonuria, an inherited disorder of amino acid metabolism, primarily phenylalanine. This substance is present in the proteins of all known living organisms. Normally, liver enzymes should convert it into tyrosine, which, among other things, is necessary for synthesis. But in phenylketonuria, the necessary enzymes are missing or lacking, so phenylalanine becomes phenylpyruvic acid, which is toxic to neurons. This leads to severe damage to the central nervous system and dementia.
Phenylalanine is found in meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, in plant foods (in smaller quantities), as well as in carbonated drinks, chewing gum and other products, so for normal mental development, patients with phenylketonuria in childhood need to follow a diet and take medications, containing tyrosine.
Phenylketonuria is a striking example of how a genetic malfunction, which at first glance is not related to brain functions, critically affects its functioning. Ultimately, the fate of such patients in childhood depends on external factors: with proper treatment, they develop intellectually on par with their peers. If a child with a disorder of phenylalanine metabolism does not receive medications and does not follow a diet, mental retardation awaits him, and this is an irreversible diagnosis.
Pathology constructor: how schizophrenia is inherited
Today, scientists believe that schizophrenia, like autism, is inherited. According to research, the likelihood of getting it is:
1%, if the diagnosis has not been observed in the family before;
6% if one of the parents suffers from schizophrenia;
9% if it is observed in a brother or sister;
48% if we are talking about one of the identical twins.
At the same time, there is no specific “schizophrenia gene”: we are talking about tens or even hundreds of genome fragments in which anomalies are observed. We are all carriers of certain mutations, including those associated with schizophrenia, but they do not have any impact on our lives until they “all get together.”
So far, scientists have not been able to find anomalies whose presence leads to schizophrenia. Nevertheless, they still managed to detect several problem areas in the human genome. The most famous among them is the 16th chromosome: the absence of its 16p11.2 region may be one of the factors underlying autism and mental retardation. Duplication of 16p11.2 also appears to lead to autism, mental retardation, epilepsy and schizophrenia. There are other chromosomal regions (15q13.3 and 1q21.1), mutations in which may be associated with mental illness.
A child's chance of inheriting schizophrenia decreases as the mother's age increases. But in the case of the father, the opposite is true: the older the father, the higher this probability. The reason is that as men age, more and more germ cell mutations occur, which leads to the appearance of de novo mutations in children, while this is not typical for women.
Experts have yet to solve the puzzle that is the genetic architecture of schizophrenia. After all, de facto, this disease is inherited much more often than genetic studies show, even if relatives are separated and lead completely different lifestyles. The same picture, however, is observed in the case of hereditary obesity, abnormally high or abnormally low growth and other genetically determined parameters that deviate from the norm.
Grandma's Mind: Hereditary IQ
Today we know that many brain parameters are inherited and are not the result of environmental influences. For example, the volume of the cerebral cortex is inherited by 83%, and the ratio of gray and white matter in identical twins is almost identical. The IQ level, of course, does not depend on the size of the brain, but it is also partly recognized as a 50% hereditary parameter.
Unfortunately, today we know no more about the mechanisms of inheritance of high IQ levels than about schizophrenia. More recently, 200 specialists examined genome fragments from more than 126,500 participants, but found only that coding elements associated with IQ were located on chromosomes 1, 2 and 6. Scientists are confident that the picture will become clearer when more people take part in the experiments. In addition, in the case of IQ, it seems that a new system for isolating the necessary sections of the genome is needed: you need to look in the X chromosome. Researchers have long noted that boys suffer from mental retardation (IQ<70) чаще, чем девочки. Очевидно, так происходит из-за X-хромосомы: у мужчин она одна, тогда как у женщин их две. X-хромосома связана с более чем 150 расстройствами, в числе которых - гемофилия и мышечная дистрофия Дюшенна. Для того чтобы у девочки проявилась генетически обусловленная умственная отсталость (или гемофилия, или другая подобная патология), мутация должна произойти сразу в двух местах, тогда как в случае с мальчиком достаточно одной аномалии.
Anna Kozlova
geneticist, specialist in the laboratory of sports pharmacology and nutrition of the Republican Scientific and Practical Center for Sports (Minsk)
“There are a number of hereditary diseases, one of the symptoms of which is mental retardation: as a rule, these are disturbances in the number or structure of chromosomes. A classic example is Down syndrome; less known - for example, Williams syndrome ("elf face" syndrome), Angelman syndrome, and so on. But there are also mutations of individual genes. The total number of genes in which mutations can lead to mental retardation of one degree or another, according to the latest data, is more than a thousand.
In addition, there are a number of disorders that are polygenic in nature - they are also called multifactorial. Their appearance and development is determined not only by heredity, but also by the influence of the environment, and if we are talking about hereditary factors, then this is always the result of the action of not one, but many genes. Today it is believed that such diseases include schizophrenia, autism spectrum disorders, depressive spectrum disorders (clinical depression, postpartum depression), bipolar affective disorder (what was previously known as manic-depressive psychosis), manic syndrome, etc.
If we do not talk about obvious chromosomal diseases (say, Down syndrome - trisomy of the 21st chromosome, Williams syndrome - microdeletion of a region of chromosome 7q11.23, and so on), then there is, for example, fragile X syndrome, in which a mutation of a specific gene on the X chromosome, which causes, among other things, mental retardation. In general, a fairly significant number of such pathologies are associated with mutations in the X chromosome, and they have been well studied.
Regarding the influence of hereditary factors on IQ, as far as I know, there is no exact and unambiguous answer yet (except for situations where one of the symptoms of a hereditary disease is a decrease in intelligence). In general, only the so-called “norm of reaction” is genetically determined, that is, the range of variability of a trait, and how this is realized within the range is already associated with environmental conditions (upbringing, training, stress, living conditions). It is believed that intelligence is just a classic example of a trait for which a fairly wide range, rather than a specific IQ value, is genetically determined. But at the same time, there are a number of polymorphic alleles for which, for example, an association with maintaining the level of cognitive abilities under conditions of increased physical and mental stress has been shown. According to various sources, the influence of hereditary factors on memory ranges from 35% to 70%, and on IQ and attention - from 30% to 85%.”
Psychogenetics is the study of how hereditary factors influence the mental qualities of a living being. For example, the influence of individual genetic characteristics on temperament, aggressiveness, indicators of introversion-extroversion, search for novelty, avoidance of harm (damage), dependence on reward (encouragement), IQ, memory, attention, reaction speed, speed of disjunctive reaction (response to situations with mutually exclusive choice) and other qualities. But in general, unlike most morphological and biochemical characteristics, mental characteristics are less dependent on genetics. The more complex a person’s behavioral activity, the greater the role of the environment and the less of the genome. That is, for simple motor skills the heritability is higher than for complex ones; for intelligence indicators - higher than for personality traits, and the like. On average (the scatter of data, unfortunately, is quite large: this is due to differences in methods, sample sizes, and insufficient consideration of population characteristics), the heritability of mental characteristics rarely exceeds 50–70%. For comparison: the contribution of genetics to the type of constitution reaches 98%.
Why is that? In particular, because a huge number of genes are involved in the formation of these traits (complex and complex), and the more genes are involved in any process, the lower the contribution of each individual. For example, if we have ten types of receptors susceptible to one neurotransmitter, and each is encoded by a separate gene, then a decrease in expression or even knockout of one of the genes will not turn off the entire system as a whole.
Icons: 1) A.L. Hu, 2) Aenne Brielmann, 3) Michael Thompson, 4) Alex Auda Samora - from the Noun Project.
Don't you like the way roses smell? Do you follow every “skirt” with your eyes? Don't like to read, but only fall asleep after midnight? It is not promiscuity, or complexity of character, or force of habit. Many of our addictions are explained solely by genetic characteristics. This sounds like a popular excuse, but it is actually the opinion of scientists.
Tells Irina Zhegulina, clinical geneticist of the medical center:
Search for new experiences
It is known that people are divided into two types. Some people prefer to lie on the couch and enjoy familiar and familiar things, while others constantly need something new, previously unknown: places, people, dishes, drinks. The search for new sensations is considered a character trait.
In fact, we are pushed to search for new experiences by receptor proteins that affect the functioning of nerve cells in the brain.
The most important of them is the D4 receptor, which is also called the dopamine receptor (or pleasure receptor). Studies have shown that various variants of this gene affect behavioral characteristics associated with risk and pleasure from new sensations, food, and power. This gene is also called the gene for adultery, which is also known to be driven by a thirst for impressions.
Perception of smells and tastes
Can't stand the smell of roses? Congratulations, you have a rare variant in the olfactory receptor gene NDUFA10, which responds to B-damascenone: a special substance found in rose. But you are not alone at all! There are people who cannot stand the smell of licorice (their gene is sensitive to the isobutyraldehyde it contains). Others are annoyed by the smell of violets: they have a variant in the olfactory receptor gene OR5BN1P, which causes them to suffer from the subtle smell of B-ionone contained in violets.
In addition to reactions to smells, many have sensitivity to tastes. For example, the taste of cilantro: coriander leaves, which are used in many cuisines around the world. Research has shown that people who dislike the taste of this plant have a polymorphism in a group of olfactory receptor genes. Presumably, this change is associated with the OR6A2 gene. This genotype occurs more often in women than in men, and it is more common in the European part. Is it any wonder that cilantro is considered a seasoning of oriental cuisine.
Owls and larks
There is another unspoken division of people: into “owls” and “larks” (the intermediate version was defined as “pigeons”). Essentially, this is the division of people into chronotypes (patterns of daily activity). Recent studies have shown that chronotype is influenced by changes in the region of the PER1 gene, which is responsible for maintaining the sleep-wake cycle.
In early risers, the PER1 gene type determines earlier physical and mental activity, which allows them to wake up and get to work earlier than others. Other variants of this gene determine the mode of activity that is characteristic of “pigeons” and “owls”.
Love of reading
Teachers know that some children read voraciously, while others can only be forced to pick up a book under pressure. Do not rush to blame your offspring! Even for many adults, reading is difficult: instead of some letters, they see others, and this affects not only the understanding of words, but also spelling.
The main gene responsible for the love of reading (in other words, the ability to easily perceive written content) is DYX1C1. If mutations occur in this gene during fetal development, the area of the cerebral cortex is formed differently than in most people, and this interferes with the pleasure of reading.
There are families in which no one likes to read! And this is not surprising. In 50% of cases, the ability to perceive books is inherited: or rather, the gyrus of the temporal lobe of the left hemisphere is inherited (this area is responsible for the ability to assemble letters into words). They say about such people: “I look at a book and see nothing.”
Genetics underlies the occurrence of many diseases. It has been proven that genetic predisposition is responsible for the occurrence of cancer, diabetes, hypertension, and allergies. And this list is constantly growing. Recently, a hereditary trace was discovered in the occurrence of migraine. If a mother suffers from migraines, the likelihood that her child will experience this disease is 60%. If both parents have migraine, the child has an 80-90% chance of developing the disease.
Ecology of health: Genes are a section of a DNA molecule that is responsible for the construction of one protein or RNA of the body. Genes are responsible for the congenital characteristics, psychotype and health of the child. Genes pass on programs to a greater extent not to the next generation, but through a generation, that is, your genes will not be in your children, but in your grandchildren. And your children have the genes of your parents.
Genes - a section of a DNA molecule that is responsible for the construction of one protein or RNA of an organism. Genes are responsible for congenital characteristics, psychotype and healthchild. Genes pass on programs to a greater extent not to the next generation, but through a generation, that is, your genes will not be in your children, but in your grandchildren. And your children have the genes of your parents.
Genes determine our physical and mental characteristics, genes determine that we, as people, cannot fly and breathe under water, but we can learn human speech and writing. Boys are easier to navigate in the objective world, girls - in the world of relationships. Some were born with an absolute ear for music, some with an absolute memory, and some with very average abilities.
By the way, this depends on the age of the parents: the average age of parents who give birth to brilliant children is the mother is 27 years old, the father is 38.
Genes determine many of our character traits and inclinations.. Boys have a tendency to work with cars rather than dolls. Genes influence our individual predispositions, including diseases, antisocial behavior, talent, physical or intellectual activity, etc.
It is important to always remember: inclination pushes a person, but does not determine his behavior. Genes are responsible for inclination, and people are responsible for behavior. And you can work with your inclinations: develop some, make them loved, and leave others outside your attention, extinguish them, forget them...
Genes determine the time when some of our talent or inclination will manifest itself or not.
I came at a good time, when the genes were ready, and it worked a miracle. If you miss the time, you fly past. Today, receptivity to the educational process is open - a “blank sheet” or “absorbs only the good,” and tomorrow, as the king from the film “An Ordinary Miracle” said: “The grandmother will wake up in me, and I will be weird.”
Genes determine when our sex drive awakens and when it falls asleep. Genes influence both happiness and character traits.
After analyzing data from more than 900 pairs of twins, psychologists at the University of Edinburgh found evidence of the existence of genes that determine character traits, a tendency toward happiness, and the ability to tolerate stress more easily.
Aggressiveness and goodwill, genius and dementia, autism or extroversion are passed on to children from their parents as inclinations. All this can be changed by education, but to varying degrees, since inclinations also vary in strength. Whether a child learns or not is also related to his genetics. And let us immediately note: healthy children are quite teachable. Human genetics makes humans an exceptionally learnable creature!
Genes are the carriers of our capabilities, including the ability to change and improve. Interestingly, men and women have different capabilities in this regard. Men are more likely than women to be born with one or another deviation: among men there are more of those who will be very tall and very short, very smart and, conversely, talented and idiots. It seems that nature is experimenting with men... At the same time, if a man was born this way, it is very difficult for him to change this throughout his life. A man is attached to his genotype, his phenotype (the external manifestation of the genotype) changes little.
If you were born long, you will remain long. A short person can, with the help of sports, rise 1-2 centimeters, but no more.
For women the situation is different. Women are born more identical on average, and there are fewer biological and genetic deviations among them. More often than not, there are fewer average heights, average intelligence, average decency, idiots and crap among women than among men. But also outstanding intellectually or morally - similarly.
It seems that evolution, while conducting experiments on men, decides not to take risks on women and invests everything that is most reliable in women. At the same time, individual (phenotypic) variability in women is higher: if a girl was born small relative to others, she will be able to stretch 2-5 cm (more than a guy can)... Women have greater freedom from their genotype, have a greater opportunity than men , change yourself.
Genes give us our capabilities, and genes limit our capabilities.
A proud ear of wheat grows from a grain of wheat, and a beautiful branched apple tree grows from an apple tree seedling. Our essence, our inclinations and the opportunity to realize ourselves are given to us by our genes. On the other hand, only an ear of wheat will grow from a grain of wheat, only an apple tree will grow from an apple tree seedling, and no matter how much a frog inflates, it will not inflate into a bull. She doesn't even have the strength to burst from the strain.
Man is also a part of nature, and all of the above is true for him. Genes determine the limits of our capabilities, including our ability to change ourselves, strive for growth and development. If you were lucky with your genes, you were able to absorb the influences of your parents and teachers, and grew up to be a developed, decent and talented person. Thanks to parents! If you are less fortunate with your genes, and you (suddenly!) were born a down, then in the best environment you will only grow up to be a well-mannered down. In this sense, our genes are our destiny, and we cannot directly change our genes, our abilities to grow and change.
How much is genetically inherent in us is a very controversial question (the interaction of heredity and environment is studied by psychogenetics).
It is rather true that the more a person moves away from the animal world, the less innate in him and the more acquired. For now, we must admit that most of us have a lot of innate. On average, according to geneticists, genes determine 40% of human behavior.
In favorable conditions and a good educational process, a possible negative predisposition may not be realized, or may be corrected, “covered up” by the influence of neighboring awakened genes, and a positive predisposition, sometimes hidden, may manifest itself. Sometimes a person (child) simply does not know his capabilities, and categorically “giving up”, saying that “this ugly duckling will not grow into a swan” is dangerous.
Another danger, another risk is wasting time and energy on a person from whom nothing good can come of it. They say that anyone can become a genius, and in theory this is true. However, in practice, thirty years is enough for one, while another needs three hundred years, and investing in such problem people is unprofitable. Sports trainers argue that it is innate talent, and not training methods, that is the most important factor in the formation of a future champion.
If a girl was born brown-haired with green eyes and a “predisposition” to be overweight, then you can, of course, dye her hair and wear colored lenses: the girl will still remain a green-eyed brown-haired girl. But whether her “predisposition” will translate into fifty-large sizes worn by all her relatives largely depends on herself. And even more so, it depends on her whether, by the age of forty, sitting in this fifty-sixth size, she will scold the state and her unsettled life (as all her relatives do) or will find herself many other interesting activities.
Can a person change, sometimes overcome, and sometimes improve his genetics? The answer to this question cannot be general, since this is also determined individually genetically. The most important thing is that today no specialist will give you a definite answer; you will find the answer yourself, only by starting to work with yourself, starting to change yourself.
Whether this child (or ourselves) can be changed in the direction we need, we can only understand through experience, by starting to work with this child (or ourselves). Get started! Genes set opportunities; it depends on us how much we realize these opportunities. If you have good genetics, you can make them even better and pass them on to your children as the most precious gift.
Our DNA remembers what kind of childhood we had, there are observations that habits, skills, inclinations and even manners are genetically transmitted. If you have developed good manners, beautiful manners, a good voice, accustomed yourself to a daily routine and responsibility, then there is a good chance that sooner or later this will become part of the genotype of your surname.
Genes determine our inclinations, our capabilities and inclinations, but not our destiny. Genes determine the starting point for activity - for some it is better, for others it is more difficult. But what will be done on the basis of this site is no longer the concern of genes, but of people: the person himself and those who are close to him.
Genetics can be improved - if not always in your individual destiny, then definitely in the destiny of your kind. Good luck with your genetics!
Bad genetics and upbringing
Children from boarding schools often have poor genetics - not only in health, but also in inclinations and character traits. If ordinary good parents, without special training, take in raising a child, they can struggle for years with the fact that the child steals, does not study, lies, and so on in full. No one has canceled genetics.
It is in this regard that you need to be very careful when people want to foster a child from an orphanage. There were cases when a family took in a 9-month-old girl whose mother was a prostitute, and despite the values of this family, at the age of 14-16 the girl fully “remembered” her mother.
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On the other hand, these difficulties should not be exaggerated. Hidden problem scenarios of difficult children are not the most common option; more often, successful or problematic inclinations of children are visible already from childhood. In addition, the experience of A.S. Makarenko says more than convincingly that with quality upbringing, children with almost any genetics turn into worthy people. published