Contents:
- Medical Video: Innate Behaviour | Biology for All | FuseSchool
- Is behavior influenced genetically?
- Research on genetic influences on human behavior
- Environment is no less important in determining behavior
Medical Video: Innate Behaviour | Biology for All | FuseSchool
Every human has different genes and DNA sequences, so there are rarely those with similar faces - except identical twins. Each person has a physical difference, even in identical twin brothers there are still physical differences. Visible physical appearance, such as color and hairstyle, high or short, the shape of the face, nose, mouth, and even eyebrows are different for everyone. This difference is formed due to differences in genes and DNA that is owned by each person.
Then, what about the nature and behavior of someone? Is it also formed from genes and DNA? Where does it come from and does genetics influence a person's behavior? Just like physical differences, everyone also has different characteristics, habits and behaviors. But the question that is still a mystery to date is what shapes a person's behavior and habits? Is it only environmental or genetic contributing to that?
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Is behavior influenced genetically?
The theory that once stated that each DNA contained in human genes will affect cell work. This chemical process in DNA will produce different warrants for each cell. When the cell carries out the order that has been made then this then indirectly influences a person's actions and behavior.
However, this theory is still a debate because the behavior that emerges cannot be separated from the environment. From this theory comes the statement that two individuals who may have genetic similarities - like identical twins who have about 99% gene similarity - have different behaviors because they live in different environments and two individuals who have no genetic similarity, live in the environment the same every day also has a different behavior.
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Research on genetic influences on human behavior
Much research has been done to answer this. But still there is no definite answer until now. This happens because it is very difficult to know how much genes and the environment affect someone in behaving, making decisions, or doing habits. These studies have even been carried out on various objects, such as identical and fratenal twins, even in groups of people who have mental syndromes.
Another research has also been conducted and involves sufferers of Williams syndrome. This syndrome is quite rare and causes sufferers to experience a variety of shortcomings, namely the learning disorder, has a unique personality, intellectual ability is also low. Not only is the problem with psychic abilities, Williams syndrome causes sufferers to experience heart and blood vessel disease. Then the researchers in the study measured the ability of their respondents' brains by carrying out various tests, such as tests of language skills and ability to remember.
Researchers tried to understand and find a relationship between genes and behavior by looking at behavior in patients with Williams syndrome. Then, they managed to find a difference in the brain's working system in Williams patients compared to normal people. This states that genetically indeed can affect one's behavior and social life. But a surprising thing emerged from the results of the study, which is known that the brain in patients with Williams syndrome returned to work normally after they grew up. And researchers also stated that there were environmental influences on sufferers of Williams syndrome.
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Environment is no less important in determining behavior
Other studies have even suggested that someone's antisocial behavior is in the person's genes, which means that antisocial is inherited from birth. Research conducted on 1300 adolescents aged 17 to 18 years in Sweden found that children who tend to be anti-social, passive, and withdraw from the environment have more monoamine oxidase A (MAOA), a type of intermediate that exists in the nervous system which functions to deliver signals between nerve cells.
From this study it was also found that adolescents who had a high MAOA had violent experiences in their childhood. So it can be concluded that genetics does affect a person's behavior but it is inseparable from the environment and experiences that have been experienced.
