what is the relationship between heredity and Environment
Answers
Heredity determines what an organism may become, not what it will become. What an organism becomes depends on both its heredity and environment. The modern science of genetics started with the work of Gregor Mendel. He found that a certain factor in a plant cell determined the traits the plant would have.
Answer:
This is the classic argument of nature versus nurture. We know that both environment and genetics influence a person’s development in various ways, but does one outweigh the other in its influence?
To understand the role heredity has on development, researchers use the heritability estimate, which measures the extent to which individual traits are due to genetics. The estimates are obtained from kinship studies, or twin studies, that compare characteristics of family members. The findings of these studies showed heredity having a moderate role in development, but playing an important role in personality characteristics. Most researchers have accepted that heredity and environment work together. A person’s range of reaction is their genetically determined, unique response to their environment and can be applied to any characteristic. Reaction ranges prove that because we are all genetically different, we may respond differently to the same environment.
The concept of genetic-environmental correlation states that our genes influence the environments that we are exposed to. When children are younger, it is common to see passive correlation, meaning the child has no control. Parents provide their child’s environment, tying it to heredity. The other common correlation is evocative, meaning children’s responses are influenced by their heredity. Active correlation takes place as children get older and gain experiences beyond the family. When given the freedom to make their own choices, children tend to choose environments that complement their heredity, called niche-picking. The influence of heredity and environment changes with age, as genetic factors become more important in determining environment as people get older. Of course parents and other adults can give children experiences that alters the expression of their heredity. The relationship between heredity and genes is proving to be bidirectional, meaning genes affect people’s behavior and experiences, but their experiences and behavior also affect their genes. This view is called epigenetic framework, meaning development results from bidirectional, ongoing exchanges between heredity and all levels of environment.