Transcript Genetic and Environmental Foundations

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Genetic and Environmental
Foundations
Ashlee Karsteter
Different Possibilities
GENOTYPE
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“Is the genetic make-up of an
individual organism. Your genotype
functions as a set of instructions for
the growth and development of
your body. The word ‘genotype’ is
usually used when talking about the
genetics of a particular trait”.
("Science
learning:
Sparking,"
2011)
PHENOTYPE
The observable characteristic of an
organism.
Genetics
and
environmental factors influence a
person.
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The Apple and the Tree…
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Jackson
The spitting image of his father, Jackson is
all boy! This rambunctious boy has
eyes that squint, almost completely
closed, when he smiles, and a nose that
curls just on the end. His ears stick out
more than “normal”. The funny part—if
you place a picture of he and his dad
side-by-side not many can tell which is
which. A complete athlete, Jackson
stands out among the rest when it
comes to coordination and speed. He
has found his niche in basketball
playing on an AAU team with older
kids. However, unlike his dad as an
academic scholar, Jackson is an average
student.
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Brooklynn
This little girl is the perfect combination of
her mother and father. While she looks
just like her dad with her dark features
and big, beautiful brown eyes, she acts
like her mother. She is completely
spontaneous and laid back. Her
carefree demeanor makes her a great
companion to most girls her age. She is
opinionated, yet reserved
when
necessary.
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Lakeyn
This blonde hair, blue eyed beauty is her
mother made over. Her smile fills a room,
and her light skin tone makes her prone to
sun burns. Her mother is a professional
photographer while Lakeyn enjoys taking
pictures and the arts.
After studying 45 personality characteristics in over 6,000 sets of
twins, scientists concluded that if your DNA or environment
influences a particular gene more depends on where you live.
Some traits are “environmental hotspots”. (Collins, 2012)
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ARE BEHAVIORS GENETIC IMPULSES?
When your son or daughter gets into trouble for misbehaving, will
you accept the answer—”But, Mom, it runs in the family”? When
people are no longer held accountable for their actions and
choices, society has a problem. The problem with saying it is in his
nature—he’s hyper or has ADHD, he doesn’t need to behave is that
a simple misbehavior can escalate quickly and become a larger
problem for your generations to come if everything is based off of
genetics. (Kearl, 2010)
Your child must be held accountable to obey regulations set forth and
to know right from wrong no matter the past choices of his family.
NURTURE and the environment must greatly influence our behaviors
of society to break the cycle of wrong doing. Responsibility must be
taken for choices made.
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DOES THE AGE OLD DEBATE DIFFER DEPENDING ON
LOCATION?
Nature vs Nurture
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DNA Unplugged
Neoxyribonucleic Acid is also
known as DNA. DNA is a molecular
blueprint for all living things. Breaking it
down, DNA is a bunch of atoms that are
stuck together. Each individual (aside
from identical twins) is truly unique
because their DNA strand matches that of
no one else in the world. The 20 various
types of amino acids make up proteins
and proteins create living creatures.
A single strand of DNA is
extremely long and cannot fully be
copied. Living inside the nucleus, DNA
creates RNA. RNA then shapes the proper
proteins. After proteins have their unique,
proper shape---life can appear and
continue. (Perry, 2012)
Amino Acids
Tissues
Proteins
Organs
Living Cells
Living Creatures
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Everyone’s Related!
Each cell in your body contains 46 different
strands of DNA. Each strand is made of
millions of particles called nucleotides. Four
forms of nucleotides: A, C, T, G that make
unique pairings to code your individual DNA.
A GENE is a “stretch of DNA that codes for
something: information for a cell to read and
use” (Perry, 2012).
A single strand of DNA contains thousands of
genes. The various length and sequence of the
gene determines the size and shape of the
protein the gene builds. The proteins then
make up ALL living things.
Scientists believe that all living things are
connected because of the same basic DNA
code: a combination of the four different
nucleotides: A, C, T, G.
(Perry, 2012)
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All humans are made up of the same 22 pair of autosomal
chromosomes. And then, each individual is given a pair of, what are
known as, sex chromosomes (XX or XY). ALL females, all mothers,
carry two X chromosomes so they will always give their child an X
chromosomes to pass on. Male sperm are made of either an X or Y.
The difference in a boy or a girl is, simply put, if a Dad gives his
unborn child an X (girl) or Y (boy). The father cannot control which
sperm meets the ovum first so the donation is natural, but the
variation of sex chromosomes, the X or Y, boy or girl, comes from the
male.
Though parents may wonder about gender as soon as conception,
the development will not start until WEEK 7. If a Y chromosome is
present, so is SRY. SRY is a gene that starts the development of other
male genes. The presence of the Y chromosome and the SRY genes
signals testosterone development and the development of the testes.
The internal and external genital area is made of the same basic
principle for both male and female. The difference is the presence
or absence of the Y chromosome; Y allows for SRY and then the
process begins when SRY signals the development of multiple “boy
genes”.
Parents will not know the gender of their unborn child until the
ultrasound around week 16 of pregnancy.
(Corporation, 2012)
boys
and
girls
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What is Genetics?
Genetics“The study of the way in which an
individual’s traits are transmitted
from one generation to the next”
(Johnson, 2010).
Inheritance is a funny thing. For every gene,
somatic cells have two alleles. One allele is
provided by each parent. Genes can be
possessed and not expressed, skip
generations and reappear later, and create
limitless unique possibilities as to what your
child may look like..
Scientists use the term phenotype to
describe the outward, expressed gene of an
individual. However, there is also genotype
and that is the scientific makeup of the
particular allele. It is most likely impossible
to know which alleles an individual carries.
The most basic way to understand the
variations of a gene pool is through a
Punnett Square. This works similarly to a
multiplication table. The parent’s genotypes
are placed on the outside and then
combined together to form possibilities of
offspring for a particular gene.
(Mko, 2013)
Peace of Mind Causes
Worry
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Knowing about a disease that runs in your family is
scary. If you and your partner decide to be tested
before conceiving a child to know if you carry the
specific gene could save your child’s life. However, it
is vastly expensive and may only create questions in
your mind. If you possess the gene of a deadly
disease will you still have a child knowing that your
chance of passing the gene on is NOT 100%? Will
you elect to not have a child at all? Will you continue
to question this decision the rest of your life?
Just because you carry a gene and could potentially
pass it on to your child, you have no way of knowing
if your child would simply be a carry of the disease
or would become ill. What if the test results were
sold by an insurance company and then you were
denied coverage in the future? There is always the
possibility of your child developing another disease
that has nothing to do with the testing.
In life, there are NO guarantees. Is “finding the
answers” really solving anything? Or is simply
finding out the possibilities creating more,
unanswerable questions?
(Myers, 2011)
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Is ignorance bliss?
If done under the care of professionals,
genetics testing could be very beneficial.
Genetic counselors help you to understand
family history and medical records, order
genetic tests, evaluate the results, and help
parents make the next move.
Humans have anywhere between 25,00035,000 different genes. An error in just one
gene can cause a serous medical condition.
Genetic counselors help hopeful parents to
understand the limitations of genetic testing.
Understanding the results is not an easy
process. They can depict the presence or
absence of a gene. The results do not tell you
what that means—enter a genetic counselor.
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Modern Science Babies
Donor Insemination
Surrogate Motherhood
“Donor insemination is a simple
procedure that uses a syringe to
place semen into a woman’s vagina
to assist her in getting pregnant. The
semen is normally obtained from
someone other than the woman’s
husband or partner” (“Infertility and
donor, 2012). Most of the time with
donor insemination, the medical
history is not known. This could be a
concern for parents. Another thing to
consider too is that your partner will
not have any biological connection to
the child.
For surrogate mothers, they simply
want to carry the child to term. The
child will then be born and cared for
by a couple who had always intended
to take the child. This arrangement is
set up before a pregnancy takes place.
At times, the father’s sperm is
implanted so that the male has a
biological connection to the baby. At
times, both the sperm and egg are
implanted into the surrogate mother.
And sometimes, sperm from a sperm
bank and the surrogate mother’s egg is
used to create a child. The surrogate
mother knows the entire time that her
intention is not to parent the child, but
simply carry the child for the intended
parents.
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Getting
Pregnant is
not always
easy…
Arrange for a medical exam
Consider your genetics
Reduce the toxins you control
Ensure proper nutrition
Try not to stress
Make sure you are a “healthy” weight.
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Works Cited
Collins, N. (2012, June 12). Nature vs. nurture: outcome depends on where you
Retrieved from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/
science/
news/9326819/Nature-vs.-nurture-outcome- depends-on-where-
live. The
scienceyou-live.html
Corporation, M. (Producer) (2012). Boy or girl: How genetics determine your bab'ys
Parents.com. [Video podcast]. Retrieved from http://www.parents.com/
or-girl-how-genetics-determine-your-baby-s- gender.htm
gender.
videos/v/
Infertility and donor insemination. (2012, April). American Pregnancy Association, Retrieved from http://americanpregnancy.org/infertility/
Telegraph.
63953585/boy-
donorinsemination.html
Johnson, G. B. (2010). Essentials of the living world. (Third ed., p. 613). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
Kearl, M. (2010). Nature vs. nurture: How much free will do we really have?.
http://www.trinity.edu/mkearl/socpsy-2.html
Retrieved
from
Miko, I. (2013). Inheritance of traits by offspring follows predictable rules. Retrieved from http://
www.nature.com/scitable/topic/genetics-5
Myers, C. (2011, March 31). Advantages & disadvantages of genetic testing for parents. Retrieved from http://www.livestrong.com/article/
disadvantages-of-genetic-testing-for-parents/
218502-advantages-
Perry, J. (Writer) (2012). What exactly is a gene? [Web]. Retrieved from http:// www.statedclearly.com
Perry, J. (Writer) (2012). What is dna? stated clearly [Web]. Retrieved from
www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwibgNGe4aY
http://
Science learning: Sparking fresh thinking. (2011, June 10).
Retrieved from
http://www.sciencelearn.org.nz/ Contexts/Uniquely-Me/
ScienceGenotype-and-phenotype
Ideas-and-
Concepts/