Grandma's Experiences Leave a Mark on Your Genes

Jason

From Discovery Magazine:


Grandma's Experiences Leave a Mark on Your Genes

Turns out the idea, popularized by Lamarck, that an individual organism can pass on certain characteristics it's acquired during its lifetime to its offspring isn't so crazy after all. It's kind of wild to think that a person's experiences can be passed on though a type of genetic memory that in turn can actually condition the psychological and behavioral tendencies of their children and grandchildren. Almost like a genetic form of karma. Pretty interesting stuff.

BhikkhuJayasara

Assassins creed for the win :-)

ThailandTom

Yep my mother is a really frantic and highly strung women, she always has been. I have adopt this and taken it to a new level, my sister seems to take on my dads personality more so. Also funnily enough I have my mums blue eyes and my sister has her dads brown eyes. Me and my mum are both clinically allowed medication, however due to other circumstances I guess I grew to be more of what she was and I am now what I am

vinlyn

A good example of how scientific thought evolves.

Dennis1

We are discussing the differences between genotypic (change through genes) and Phenotypic ( change through traits acquired through life)-Papa worked hard and got real strong and because of that his boys are real strong. I have studied genetics and Darwin and that has not been the accepted view up until quite recently. Saying it doesn't make it so. An experiment must be repeatable and it must be disprovable. Single experiments don't change centuries of careful experimentation and thought.
Conjecture doesn't change anything except maybe a few minds. That idea is very unlikely to ever be accepted science.

Of course we are a lot like our parents for phenotypic and genotypic reasons. That doesn't mean we inherit dad's muscles because he got strong. Science evolves slowly and it should. Thought is just opinion and conjecture.

vinlyn

Dennis, I have studied genetics and Darwin, also...two degrees in the sciences, and in reading the article, I don't see any big issues with it. Is it refined scientific thought, perhaps not, but this is not just guessing about stuff.

sndymorn

I believe this study was on rats and extrapolations to humans had not been made and in fact were discouraged. It is still very interesting . Sort of like the book, "Dragons of Eden," by Carl Sagan where he talks of a monkeys which fear snakes with no apparent reason. It seems they have an innate fear, or a memory, so to speak , of the danger in snakes .

Dennis1

vinlyn said:

Dennis, I have studied genetics and Darwin, also...two degrees in the sciences, and in reading the article, I don't see any big issues with it. Is it refined scientific thought, perhaps not, but this is not just guessing about
stuff.

well it pretty much is just guessing. there cannot be any real experimentation on this it is just too far out left. Like saying I found a genuine text that Buddha proved eating snakes was the quick way to Nirvana. Nirv what? quick, rush out and publish. You don't pass on genetic attributes because of what you did in your lifetime-acquired characteristics that is. Lamarck was way out left and that idea got dumped along with the instant nirvana, eating binge.

Dennis1

sndymorn said:

I believe this study was on rats and extrapolations to humans had not been made and in fact were discouraged. It is still very interesting . Sort of like the book, "Dragons of Eden," by Carl Sagan where he talks of a monkeys which fear snakes with no apparent reason. It seems they have an innate fear, or a memory, so to speak , of the danger in snakes .

This is reasonable and scientific. Acquired genetic characteristics are a different horse-or monkey.

MaryAnne

Hmmm, maybe this 'experience imprint' being passed on in genes (If it is indeed real) will turn out to be a viable explanation for past life memories? who knows.... if that turns out to be the case, it will throw another monkey wrench into the whole "there is proof of reincarnation" idea.

sndymorn

Karma gene?

footiam

Jason said:

From Discovery Magazine:


Grandma's Experiences Leave a Mark on Your Genes

Turns out the idea, popularized by Lamarck, that an individual organism can pass on certain characteristics it's acquired during its lifetime to its offspring isn't so crazy after all. It's kind of wild to think that a person's experiences can be passed on though a type of genetic memory that in turn can actually condition the psychological and behavioral tendencies of their children and grandchildren. Almost like a genetic form of karma. Pretty interesting stuff.

Some of the things we have are due to genetic factors and some to environmental factors. I would think grandmother's experiences when they affect us are environmental.

Jason

footiam said:

Jason said:

From Discovery Magazine:


Grandma's Experiences Leave a Mark on Your Genes

Turns out the idea, popularized by Lamarck, that an individual organism can pass on certain characteristics it's acquired during its lifetime to its offspring isn't so crazy after all. It's kind of wild to think that a person's experiences can be passed on though a type of genetic memory that in turn can actually condition the psychological and behavioral tendencies of their children and grandchildren. Almost like a genetic form of karma. Pretty interesting stuff.

Some of the things we have are due to genetic factors and some to environmental factors. I would think grandmother's experiences when they affect us are environmental.

Not in the way the article discusses.

anataman

just another nuclear fusion in a test tube story

Dennis1

Yeah. Left field. It goes against the whole field and is probably just one poorly structured experiment.