Nature vs Nurture | Genetics | Biology | FuseSchool

CREDITS
Animation & Design: Waldi Apollis
Narration: Dale Bennett
Script: Bethan Parry

Have you noticed that you're different to your relations, parents or carers, your next-door neighbour, the kid who lives across the street and everyone else on the planet? In fact you’re unique.
But do you really know why you are different? Why are we all different to each other? Why does any organism have different characteristics to another organism?

The answer lies in a long running debate called ‘nature versus nurture’, or genetics versus environment, which is a little less catchy!

‘Nature’ refers to our genetics – the unique combination of genes that we have naturally inherited from our biological parents, from their DNA. Many characteristics are controlled by our genes, including our blood group, eye colour or natural hair colour. Some diseases are also caused by our genes, for example cystic fibrosis. The colour of a flower or a fruit is controlled by genes in plants.
‘Nurture’ refers to the effect of the environment on characteristics, the word literally means care. Examples of characteristics that are determined by the environment are weight, or mass, which is dependent on your diet, or the presence of a scar. Some diseases may be caused by environmental influences, such as type 2 diabetes and coronary heart disease.

Imagine that a plant has not received enough sunlight or water. This may influence the height of the plant or the number of fruits produced. We would say that the environment has influenced these characteristics too, or that a plant has been affected by nurture.

The effect of genetics and the environment on characteristics has been researched using identical twins. Can you think why this is? (Pause). Identical twins have identical DNA, so, in theory, should have identical characteristics. It follows that any differences between a pair of identical twins could be due to the influence of the environment on their characteristics. In fact, twins often grow up to have very different personalities and preferences beyond their physical similarities. These studies showed that many characteristics are influenced by both genetics and the environment. Some studies actually use twins identical genomes as a control to prove the effect of the environment on the body. For example, one study showed how skin aged differently by comparing smoker twins with non-smoker twins.

Remember that the characteristics of a living organism are influenced by its genetics and its interaction with the environment. So both nature and nurture are responsible.

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[tophercuadra]

How are you guys complaining about watching this for a class?? I’m watching it for fun because it’s so interesting! I wish I went to college and could learn about all this the human mind truly is fascinating. I’d do essay’s any day

[paulgately]

Man tried to throw my man phineas in without us noticing

[TheBluePhoenix]

Imagine having to write an essay.

This post was made by just watching for knowledge gang.

[ShivLovesPinhead]

I don’t understand any of this and I have to write an essay about it

[elvis]

Interesting! My exposure to nature vs nurture was nature being your environmental exposure and nurture being influence from a nurturing influence.

[Martin-glnl]

What I understand from this video and very little research, is that Genetics and Environment are not completely and necessary different, actually both work together to develop an individual personality, for example, if someone inherited an aggressive trait from their parents, they're more likely to have this particular life experience and this are the situations where a person develops different personalities. Am I at least 1% right on this? lol or am I completely wrong?

[philruiyn]

I was dreading watching this because it’s for History but I can honestly say I enjoyed it. Like I thought hair length was affected by both genetics and environmental impact but I just figured out I was wrong

[jamelpiclit]

I believe its nurture that shapes the individual..

[naturally_rob]

Nature is the consequence of fortune. Nurture is the consequence of applied change.

[paulaserravalle]

Any way you can improve the volume? Its difficult to show in my classroom. Kids can't hear :(

[saniasaeed]

Finally, now I know what nature and nurture is . Hope I’ll do good on the FRQ tmr in Psychology

[angela_igg]

Glad this was an easy video to follow. Thanks!

[hazelrorem]

I want to see if my teacher sees this because he gave this video to us as homework. Hi Mr. Loredo!

[omaramsammy]

also when a tree does not get sunlight or water the fruits become not to tasty

[jellyking]

why is my dad black and my mom black but I'm white

[jeffreywang]

I once always thought that nature and genetics was only physical like eye color, hair color, height, and weight! But it certainly is confusing and surprising to find out that mental illnesses and brain is also genetics and chromosomes! That was mostly from another video on mind and behavior!

[waltermarlin]

I saw this TV program called Xporation Station Life 2.0. The program was on cloning. They cloned a deceased dog. The resulting offspring displayed the same unlearned behaviors as the deceased parent. Is this inherited behaviour also true in human beings? If yes then the next question is is intelligence also inherited? If intellectual ability is inherited how do we deal with this inequity?

[Taylor.mxrrow]

Why are we learning biology in life and career prep?

[paulaserravalle]

amazing content by the way. Great to use in my Human Growth and Development class. But please help with the volume. Pretty please?!

[thunderlol]

Hi could you please make a refraction and refraction video in physics....