Role of Heredity and Environment as determining of
individual differences
What is Heredity?
·
According to Douglas and Holland (1947), “One’s heredity consists of all the
structure, physical characteristics or capacities derived from parents, other
ancestry or species”
·
Life in actual sense begins with the
conception, approximately, nine months before birth.
·
Life is the result of the union of these
male and female cells. (Sperm and Ovum)
·
Only one sperm (single male cell) is
able to establish contact with the ovum (Single female cell) situated in the
ovarian duct of the mother and makes if fertile. This process is called
fertilization
·
The fertilized Ovum is technically known
as Zygote (structure on a new life).
·
Human life thus starts from a single
cell produced by the union of two germ cells (Sperm and Ovum), one from each
parent and gradually develops in to a complicated composition of trillions of
body cells and yet containing the same genetic material that was inherited at
the time of conception.
·
In human Zygote there are 23 pairs of
chromosomes (23 by father and 23 by mother =46 Chromosomes).
·
There are more than 1000 genes in each
chromosome cell.
·
The possibility regarding the
combination of 23,000 characteristics each from mother and father, may help us
to understand the reason for uniqueness of each individual.
·
The inheritance of traits at the time of
conception makes up the native capital and endowment of an individual that are
present with him in the form of sum total of the traits basically present in
the fertilized ovum. These are called the heredity factors present in an
individual.
Role of Genes
·
Some genes are dominant and others
recessive. Like chromosomes, genes also occur in pairs. Each of the pairs is
donated by one of the parents
·
A dominant gene from one of the parents
and recessive gene from the other
·
Dominant genes from both the parents.
·
Recessive genes from both the parents.
·
Dominant gene must exhibit its dominance
over the recessive ones. (Ex. Brown eye Blue eye)
What is Environment?
·
“Environment cover all the outside
factors that have acted on the individual since he began life”- Woodworth
·
Environment is everything that affect
the individual expect genes.
·
Before birth- Environment at the womb
(Physiological and psychological state of the mother, habit, interests)
·
After Birth - (Physical forces and social or cultural
forces)
Role
of Heredity in Generating Individual Differences
1.
Heredity
determining the sex of the child.
·
The autosomes
(first 22 pair of Chromosomes) are responsible for deciding and determining the
growth and development of most of the characteristics and structural composition
of our body. Remaining one is the sex
chromosome. That will be deciding the gender of the individual.
·
There are two types of sex chromosomes,
X and Y
·
X+Y= Son, X+X=Daughter (X,Y-Male, X,X-
female)
·
Father is biologically more accountable
for determination of the sex.
2.
Heredity
contribute significantly towards physical constitution
·
Most of the attributes related to our
body make-up, its constitution and functioning are well decided and guided by
heredity.
·
Ex: hair, facial look, blood type etc.
·
Sometimes the role of heredity as a
determined of physical condition or bodily make up becomes questionable.
3.
Contribution
of heredity towards the birth of twins and the related individual differences
·
Sometimes two or more ova get fertilized
resulting in the birth of two or more offspring’s at a time. There are two
distinctly different types of twins namely:
·
Identical
twins: (Ova Split in to two or more – each part develop in
to complete individual)
·
They carry exactly same genes.
·
Fraternal
twins: two or more ova may mature simultaneously and get
fertilized simultaneously by two or more different sperms.
Role of Environment as
Determinant of individual differences
1.
Internal
Environment (inside the womb)
·
Whatever mother eats or drinks have an
impact on the growth and development of child.
·
Environment available during pregnancy
is quite important for the baby.
·
The mother remains tense, worried,
anxious and emotionally upset then it may eventually have an adverse effect on
the growth and development of the baby.
·
Environment at the time of delivery will
affect the child (Normal delivery or not? hygienic or not? )
2.
External
Environment (After Birth)
·
Physical, Sociological, Cultural and
Psychological environment
Relative Importance of
Heredity and Environment as determines of Individual Difference
·
Every phenomenon of life is the product
of both. Each is as necessary to the result as the other. Neither can ever be
eliminated and neither can ever be isolated.
·
(Whether the seed or the soil is more
important for the proper growth of a plant?)
·
Nothing is more certain than that
heredity and environment are co-acting influence and that both are essential to
achievement.
·
As a gift from heredity, we get our
working capital but it is the environment which gives us the opportunity to
invest it.
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