Role of Genetics in Development - Essay Example

?Roles of Genetics on Development Introduction The nature-nurture issue aside from its point regarding tabula rasa doctrine also involves a significant argument that genes have substantial impact on human development. It is part of this issue that genes have crucial role on human development, learning and other characteristics including but not limited to intelligence and strength (Lefrancois, 2011; Engler, 2008; Harris, 2012). In behavioral genetics, there is a strong emphasis that heredity has strong impact on human behavior (Feldman, 2008). This means that one could attribute much about human behavior from genes aside from the prevailing claims that part of human development is due to the environment. People could potentially acquire the human development from the environment, but there is prevailing understanding that genes also substantially play crucial roles on this certain advancement. In this paper, the proponent focuses on the role of genetics in development. In particular, the proponent tries to address how the genes of the two parents influence the traits of an offspring. In addition, the proponent also includes information on how abnormalities could contribute to genetic and chromosomal disorders. Genes of parents and offspring traits For instance, there are prevailing studies concerning cognitive abilities, personality traits, sexual orientation, and psychological disorders pointing out the significant contribution of genetic factors (Feldman, 2008). Although some of them remain inconclusive, various evidences could suggest that genetic factors have significant contributions on various aspects of human development. Scientists are heading their way forward to discovering a remarkable breakthrough in understanding human behavior which they believe determined by a certain gene. At this point, there is a probability that what they are claiming is true knowing the fact that there are at least 30,000 individual genes which appear to be in a specific sequence on unique chromosomes (Feldman, 2008). Scientists’ goal regarding the human genome for almost two decades is to successfully map all these genes through the Human Genome Project, and now they discovered around 3 billion chemical pairs making up the DNA in genes (Feldman, 2008). One could see the map or total genetic makeup of a person from the basic structure of the human genome. Scientists have all the hope that by knowing the human genome, there could be much essential information in understanding the biochemical recipes that one could associate with human functioning (Feldman, 2008). Genes individually appear in a unique sequence on a particular chromosome (Feldman, 2008). Chromosomes therefore must consist of many genes which contain hereditary information of an individual. There are 23 pairs of chromosomes found in the human cell. This means there are actually 46 chromosomes in all. These include the sex chromosome which scientists denote as X and Y. The egg cell among females contains only the X chromosomes but the sperm cells among males have either X or Y chromosomes. Since the sex chromosomes must come together, X from female and either X or Y from male, the resulting pair must be either XX or XY. It is therefore the sperm cell which determines the sex of an individual. If the resulting pair of sex chromosomes from the union of sperm and egg cells is XX, then one could determine an individual as female and male if the resulting pair is XY. This is just a simple illustration of one of the roles of genetics on human development. In addition, another meaningful understanding of the roles of genetics on human development is evident on the abnormalities occurring in the combination of chromosomes. There are some abnormalities occurring in the combination of chromosomes prior to the development of a human being. One could understand these abnormalities on the actual genetic or chromosomal disorder. Down syndrome As stated earlier, the normal human cells have 23 pairs of chromosomes. So there are 46 chromosomes in all. The first and twenty second chromosomes are called autosomes and the twenty third pair is the sex chromosome. In the case of those having Down syndrome, the problem lies on having double pairs of chromosomes in pair number twenty one. This means that in the twenty first pair of chromosomes, it is not only one but two pairs of chromosomes involved. There is actually a duplicate copy of information in here. This might sound good, but this is a picture of chromosomal abnormality. It adheres to the principle that two much could actually do harm or bad. Furthermore, one could actually illustrate this kind of defect as in the case of trying to cook a favorite food recipe that goes beyond the recommended ratio or measurements of ingredients. The result would usually result to not achieving the target appearance or taste of food. In the same way, those individuals with Down syndrome have bizarre appearance compared to normal people with only one pair of chromosomes in the twenty-first pair. Most of them have common features or characteristics and even similarity on their physical appearance. The reason is that the very nature of the problem of how they look lies on chromosomal abnormality which happens to be equal to all of them. Turner syndrome Another chromosomal abnormality linked with individuals is the Turner syndrome. This is a chromosomal abnormality among women as this syndrome associates itself with X chromosomes. Those women having this chromosomal defect are most likely to experience short stature, infertility because of failure of ovarian function, and skeletal abnormalities among any others. As of now, scientists continue to conduct researches in order to find out which gene exactly causes this kind of chromosomal defect among women. Conclusion Genetics basically has substantial role in order for everyone to understand the issue of human development. Knowing the powerful function of genes could lead one to understand human development, even from the event of the conception of human life forms. The development in this case is highly biological in nature leading scientists to explain everything at the human genetic level. To comprehend this further, it requires understanding normal chromosomal functions and even abnormalities. Science could prove this further by understanding the actual variations in human traits and even existence of different syndromes that one could associate with chromosomal abnormalities. References Engler, B. (2008). Personality Theories: An Introduction (8th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning. Feldman, R. S. (2008). Essentials of Understanding Psychology (8th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. Harris, J. F. (2012). The Ascent of Man: A Philosophy of Human Nature. New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction Publishers. Lefrancois, G. R. (2011). Theories of Human Learning: What the Professor Said (6th ed.). Belmont, CA: Cengage Learning. Read More