Biology Essay

1. For this assignment, I interviewed a 48 year old woman who I will call Sophie Beck. Due to her parents’ failing memory, she does not know specific answers to some factors of her early life. However, she has been able to get most of the necessary information from them and make reasonable guesses. To start, as far as Sophie knows, no recessive or dominant gene diseases run in the family. Gene diseases can significantly shorten the lifespan, and even if they do not appear in the person, they…

If both parents have alcoholism, will their children have alcoholism, too (nature vs nurture)? If both parents have alcoholism, it does not necessarily mean that their children will have alcoholism. Inherited biochemistry affects alcohol metabolism. There is no specific gene for alcoholism. However, the alleles that make alcoholism have been identified on every chromosome except the Y. Each individual is different, they're reaction to alcohol may be different from others. Both parents metabolism…

Researchers and scientists have now opened a new page in genetics called genetic engineering. With this new technology it has become possible to bypass the laws of nature that seem impossible to bypass. Evolution for instance, natures train tracks, you can’t get off of them without a catastrophe happening, or can you? Actually, scientist and researchers alike believe they can. How you ask? Genetically modified organisms, or GMOs. The odd thing about these GMOs is they are usually thought of as…

The effect of different substances on the number of fruit flies Maya Nalawade, Erik Pan, Alec Chen Introduction The fruit fly is a species of the common housefly, known as Drosophila Melanogaster. But for our convenience, we are utilising a certain genetically modified species without wings. Adults typically grow to approximately 1/8 inch long and have red eyes. The front portion of the body is tan and the rear portion is black and striped. Fruit flies are especially attracted to…

What is Family for us? A group of individuals living under one roof and usually under one head. According to Merriam-Webster.com the definition of “Family” is, “A group of people who are related to each other” or “a group of related people including people who lived in the past”. We know that a family is a group of people that represent more than what they are. Family is “A group of persons of common ancestry: clan” or “A group of people united by certain convictions or a common affiliation:…

The age-old debate of nature v. nurture has brought great debate for years. One side of the argument suggests people are genetically wired to develop a certain way. The other side argues that people are a product of their environment. With this debate in mind, the nurture argument is more prevalent when it comes to explaining the cultural, behavioral, and social development of a person. With saying that, I will relate the nurture argument to my own personal life and discuss how both sides of…

The Biological Perspective is associated with the genetic and physiological component of psychology. In this case, this perspective would be used to determine Post Traumatic Stress Disorder genetic or physiological causes. This perspective’s relation to PTSD is not as direct and independent as the Behavioral and Sociocultural Perspectives. However, the are some factors, both physiologically and genetically, which have contributed to the diagnosis of PTSD. Since PTSD is a condition which requires…

Jean-Jacques Rousseau stated that “People need a sense of order. Humans are born as blank slates (tabula rasa), which means society can instill proper morality, and thus, a conscience.” Whether genetics or experience is responsible for the way a person behaves, is the basis for the nature versus nurture debate. This argument questions why a person thinks, acts, and functions the way they do. Both nature and nurture play a vital role when it comes to raising a child. However, it is the nurturing…

Twin studies have been an important element in scientific research considering the distinct genetic likeness between identical twins (Dovey, D., 2015). Identical (monozygotic) twins have the same heredity due to the fertilization of one egg by a single sperm, and fraternal (dizygotic) twins develop separately from two ova fertilized by separate sperms, hence with different heredities (Holzinger, K. J., 1929). Even though researchers have recently concluded a combination of genetics and…

Through time, evolution has shown to follow various different patterns. Evolution can be influenced by different factors such as predation, adaptation and environment. All these factors can alter the way in which organisms or species exposed to them may evolve. Convergent and parallel evolutions are to forms of evolutionary pattern that are often distinguished via the way phenotype evolve. When a certain phenotype evolves, the unexpressed genetic mechanisms that drive the expression are…