How important are chromosomes in our development? We know that chromosomes trans

Question

How important are chromosomes in our development? We know that chromosomes transmit all the information as to who we are to become both physically and chemically, and they pass on important characteristics such as handedness, height, weight and hair color – but how important are they to helping us become who we are? Is nature more important than nurture? Is there anything we can do that changes our chromosomes? Could this help or hinder us in our development? What happens when one of these chromosomes goes awry?

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Explanation / Answer

Chromosomes are located in the nucleus of each cell containing the DNA comprising genes. Genes are passed from parent to child making each of us unique. In other words, chromosomes make you, you. Having the correct number of chromosomes is critically important to having a successful pregnancy. Today, most researchers agree that child development involves a complex interaction of both nature and nurture. While some aspects of development may be strongly influenced by biology, environmental influences may also play a role. For example, the timing of when the onset of puberty occurs is largely the results of heredity, but environmental factors such as nutrition can also have an effect. From the earliest moments of life, the interaction of heredity and the environment works to shape who children are and who they will become. While the genetic instructions a child inherits from his parents may set out a road map for development, the environment can impact how these directions are expressed, shaped or event silenced. The complex interaction of nature and nurture does not just occur at certain moments or at certain periods of time; it is persistent and lifelong. Whether or not a gene is expressed depends on two different things: the interaction of the gene with other genes and the continual interaction between the genotype and the environment. Genes can sometimes contain conflicting information, and in most cases, one gene will win the battle for dominance. Some genes act in an additive way. For example, if a child has one tall parent and one short parent, the child may end up splitting the difference by being of average height. In other cases, some genes follow a dominant-recessive pattern. Eye color is one example of dominant-recessive genes at work. The gene for brown eyes is dominant and the gene for blue eyes is recessive. If one parent hands down a dominant brown eye gene while the other parent hands down a recessive blue eye gene, the dominant gene will win out and the child will have brown eyes. Gene - Environment Interactions:-The environment a child is exposed to both in utero and throughout the rest of his or her life can also impact how genes are expressed. For example, exposure to harmful drugs while in utero can have a dramatic impact on later child development. Height is a good example of a genetic trait that can be influenced by environmental factors. While a child's genetic code may provide instructions for tallness, the expression of this height might be suppressed if the child has poor nutrition or a chronic illness. Due to time limit,any remaining questions can be asked as another question,they will be answered,thankyou for your cooperation

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