First Blog Post!

Through ISM I would like to gain a foundation in genetics, so this week I looked into a topic we learned in AP Psychology: nature vs. nurture. This article focused on epigenetics, highlighting the various perspectives that analyze the extent to which the environment and genes play a role in shaping all human expressions. At this stage in technological development, it is agreed by most scientists that both genetics and environment are vital to expression, however, some believe that genes can be turned on and off, while others believe that genetics are strengthened or altered during the formative stages of life. The article cited schizophrenia in twins to emphasize the importance of the environment in genetic expression. Although twins are genetically similar, they can present genes differently; One twin can develop schizophrenia while the other doesn’t. I need to conduct further research to determine exactly what environmental factors account for the difference in expression, since twins typically share the same environmental factors. I also learned about the ability for a gene to be turned on and off during pregnancy with the use of methyl. The ability to identify and treat diseases even before the baby is born is an impactful and innovative solution in the field of preventive medicine. However, the article I read didn’t outline the potential consequences and confounding effects that genetic alteration can have. Next week, I need to research the effects that methyl treatment during pregnancy, and how practical treatment is with current technology and resources. The next step is to find more studies that attempt to prove a correlation between genetics and the environment and analyze the potential that those findings can have to the field of preventative medicine. I would also like to research how gene promoters can be altered and what factors strengthen or weaken the correlation. What environmental factors significantly alter the expression of the gene from its promoter and what stages of pregnancy are these factors most influential.