In a comprehensive study held at Emory University School of Medicine, researchers found that some genetic traits in the form of fears are passed down generationally in laboratory mice. The initial fear was introduced for the parent generation of the studied mice. Electric shocks were used on the feet of the mice any time the scent of cherry blossom was introduced. This caused a natural reaction of fear associated with the scent of cherry blossoms to develop.
The researchers then bred the mice creating offspring. Once the offspring were mature enough to be away from their mother, they were segregated and then allowed to grow to maturity. What the researchers found was that once the initial introduction of the scent of cherry blossom took place with the offspring, the mice would react as if they were scared of the innocent scent of spring. This research shows that the mice had in fact been handed down the fear of the scent of the cherry blossom tree, as cherry blossom is not on the list of natural predators of the mouse. lol
The research did not stop there. The researchers then replicated the process of breeding the offspring. Their offspring showed the same fear as their parents and their parents before them. As you can see, genetics goes much further to the shaping of offspring than just handing down their physical traits. This research shows that, at a minimum, fears are handed down.
So, what does this research really say? My personal interpretation of the study is that DNA accounts for the entire person, to include memory. DNA for every single person changes, although slightly, over the course of our lifetimes. The subtle deviations account for the gaining of new information and the impact environmental changes have on the body. So, when we hand down our DNA to our children, we hand down a portion of our minds as well. The mind is powerful. It has the ability to destroy, or cure the body, and this can be seen with how the "placebo effect" has been used to cure a illness, or how a person's mind can lead them to suicide. Now, this study further illustrates how little we know considering how much we think we know...
Please, if you have an interpretation of what this study implies, feel free to comment below, and I will reply. Good Day!
Interesting stuff! Reminds me of my fav video games series of all time. Assassin's Creed!! Good shit
I think what your talking about is epigenetics. This is where how various genes are expressed can change and be passed to your offspring. The genetic code itself doesn't change.
Based on what I remember in some of my psychology class, we can really inherit a behavior that are parent has through dna or through adapting what we see in our parent everyday.
While this is an interesting phenomenon, it does not mean that we are determined by our DNA, because the emerging field of epigenetics instead shows us that we can choose, by our nutrition and other influencing factors, which of our genes will express, and which ones will remain dormant. But thanks for posting and introducing this fascinating topic.