7 interesting facts about heredity
7 interesting facts about heredity
Anonim

Knowledge is power. And a life hacker needs knowledge doubly. In this series of articles, we collect fascinating and sometimes unexpected facts about the world around us. We hope you find them not only interesting, but also practically useful.

7 interesting facts about heredity
7 interesting facts about heredity

The formation of a person's personality is simultaneously influenced by both the traits inherited from the parents and the environment. The debate about which of these factors is more important is still ongoing. Some believe that proper parenting can correct any birth defects. However, is it really so? In our list, you will find facts that will make you doubt it.

1. Laziness

Some people are just pathologically lazy. They are able to lie on the couch all day long and get boundless pleasure from it. Recently, researchers have discovered that it is not so much bad parenting that is to blame for the behavior of such people, but a special set of genes. Scientists compared two groups of rats, one of which selected the most active individuals, and the other - the laziest. The study of their offspring revealed differences at the genetic level, which, obviously, determines the characteristics of their behavior.

2. Desire for travel

Heredity Facts: Wanderlust Is Passed From Parents
Heredity Facts: Wanderlust Is Passed From Parents

Have you noticed how difficult it is for individuals to budge? While others, like a magnet, are constantly drawn to the road? The difference in their behavior is not due to their well-read, intellectual development, or the level of romance. It's all the fault of the DRD4-7R gene, the presence of which causes a tendency to change places, travel and adventure. It is not found so often - in about 20% of people, but it is his presence that pushes people to a continuous change of residence and adventurous travel.

3. Driving a car

Driving a car is not such a difficult task. You just need to learn a certain set of rules, get used to the controls and practice a little. But why are some people completely unable to master this simple science? Geneticists, as an answer to this question, cite a study that revealed a special chain of genes that directly affects memory, orientation in space and the speed of reaction. Carriers of these genes, and there are about 30% of them on Earth, should not drive.

4. Predisposition to bad habits

Drug addiction, alcoholism, smoking are not only social problems, but also medical ones. People who are instantly addicted to addictions have a genetic predisposition to them. For example, the probability that a person will start smoking is 75% dictated by his genetic characteristics.

5. Musical tastes

In 2009, Nokia did a lot of research on the influence of heredity on our musical tastes. Within its framework, more than 4,000 pairs of twins were interviewed. It turned out that the younger a person is, the greater influence genetics has on his musical preferences. As they grow older, this dependence weakens and by about 50 years of age, the environment is already of primary importance.

6. Choosing a partner

Heredity Facts: Genes Influence Mate Choice
Heredity Facts: Genes Influence Mate Choice

It's sad, but even in such a romantic and sublime affair as love relationships, genetics plays the first violin. When choosing a permanent sexual partner, the main thing is not eye color, waist size and common interests, but a family of genes called MHC (major histocompatibility complex). Experiments have shown that women tend to choose partners with MHC other than their own, as this gives them a better chance of having healthy offspring. How do they do it?

7. Phobias

It is believed that phobias develop as a result of negative life experiences, which can lead to the emergence of an irrational fear of various phenomena or objects. However, according to a study from Emory University School of Medicine, phobias can be passed down from generation to generation. Scientists used electric shocks to instill in mice a fear of cherries. The offspring of these mice were afraid of cherries from birth, which confirms the transmission of the phobia by hereditary means. However, this is one of the survival skills inherent in us by nature, so there is nothing surprising here.

What do you think is more important for the formation of a person's personality - inherited traits or environmental influences? And can congenital defects be corrected by correct upbringing?

Recommended: