The life of each person begins with the fusion of two germ cells, maternal and paternal gametes containing chromosomes. Chromosomes carry genes, and each of them is its own set, they are redistributed randomly, forming new combinations. This is how we are different from each other!
A modern American researcher, one of the leading experts in the field of behavioral genetics, Robert Plomin, claims that each of us is a unique genetic experiment that will never be repeated. Even the chance that children of the same parents will get the same set of genes is one chance in 64 trillion possibilities. The exception is twins, but even there there is no one hundred percent match in the genetic set.
Not so long ago, there was an opinion that health is transmitted through the maternal line, and intelligence through the paternal line, but the inquisitive minds of scientists did not stop at research. And here are the interesting conclusions they got: it is proved that among women the average level of intelligence prevails, and among men there are often deviations in both directions. Why is this happening?
It turns out that scientists conducted the first large-scale genetic study in this regard and came to the conclusion that the power of intelligence is inherited through the mother's line, and not the father, as previously thought.
SO THE GENDER STEREOTYPES THAT EXISTED FOR LONG CENTURIES NOW HAVE TO DISAPPEAR.
It is the mother's genes, as it turns out, that are directly responsible for the development of the cerebral cortex, and the father's - for the development of the limbic system. In other words, you took intellect from your mother, and your typical emotional state from your father.
Moreover, some other studies have shown that people inherit their mother's intelligence because intelligence genes are located on the X chromosome.
The genes that “transmit” the gifts of intelligence by inheritance are located on the X chromosomes. Women have two such chromosomes (XX), and men have only one (XY), so the genes responsible for intelligence are more active in women, and a genius dad can pass on his high IQ to his daughter, but not to his son.
Intelligence is transmitted along the X chromosome. If a daughter is born, then the intellect from the genius-father will definitely be transferred to her genes along with the same X chromosome that determines her sex. After all, she will have two X chromosomes: one is paternal, and the second is one of the maternal. Therefore, the sons who have shown remarkable abilities and talents are only obliged to their mother for this gift!
But there are other factors
Recently, researchers at the University of Ulm in Germany found that genetics is not the only reason for high intelligence. Whether you are smart or not is also influenced by other factors.
The main additional factor is the degree of attachment to the mother, especially before the age of two. Children who regularly played complex games with them that required character recognition later grew up to be smarter adults than most of their peers.
The second factor is love. If the emotional needs of children under the age of 13 were almost completely met, 10% more cells formed in their hippocampus than those who were emotionally distant from their mother.
Now scientists say that intelligence is only 50% dependent on genetics, and the rest - from the environment.
Text: Evgenia Keda, consultant - Alexander Kim, Doctor of Biological Sciences, Honored Professor of Moscow State University
One day, the famous English writer Bernard Shaw was approached with an unusual request - a fan urged him ... to make her a child. “Just imagine, the baby will be as beautiful as me and as smart as you!” she dreamed. “Madame,” Shaw sighed, “what if it turns out the other way around?”
Of course, this is a historical anecdote. But surely modern science can predict with a high probability what exactly is inherited from parents, what a son or daughter will inherit - the ability to do mathematics or music.
What is inherited: the role of chromosomes
From the school curriculum in biology, we remember exactly that the sex of the child is determined by the man. If the egg is fertilized by a sperm carrying the X chromosome, a girl is born, if the Y chromosome is a boy.
It has been proven that X chromosomes carry genes that are more responsible for appearance: the shape of the eyebrows, facial contours, skin and hair color. Therefore, it is logical to assume that boys with one such chromosome are more likely to inherit their mother's appearance. But the girls who received it from both parents can equally be similar to both their mother and father.
Expert comment: “Actually, the X chromosome that boys get is just one of 46 in the genetic code. And in all 46 chromosomes there are genes responsible for a variety of traits. So boys don't necessarily look like their mother."
! most likely to be transmittedby inheritance: height, weight, fingerprints, predisposition to depression.
! With a low probability of being transmittedby inheritance: shyness, temperament, memory, eating habits.
What is inherited: does the strong win?
In the same textbook it is clearly written: genes are divided into dominant (strong) and recessive (weak). And every person equally has both.
For example, the brown-eyed gene is dominant and the light-eyed gene is recessive. Brown-eyed parents are more likely to have the same dark-eyed child. However, one should not think that the appearance of a blue-eyed descendant in such a family is completely excluded. Both mom and dad can carry the recessive light-eyed gene and pass it on at the time of conception. Chances are, of course, small, but they are. Moreover, not one gene, but a whole group, is responsible for each trait on the part of the parent, and the combinations here are multivariate.
Strong, most often inherited genes include dark and curly hair, large facial features, a massive chin, a hooked nose, and short fingers. For two blonds, the little one is likely to be blond. But the brunette and the blond have dark blond (the average color between mom and dad). Sometimes, quite unexpectedly, the traits of distant relatives are inherited by the child. There is nothing surprising in this; probably, in previous generations, these genes lost in an unequal struggle, but here they turned out to be dominant and won.
Does the baby look nothing like you? Take a closer look. Perhaps he has your facial expressions: he also wrinkles his forehead when he thinks, protrudes his lip when he is offended. Tell me, is he copying you? Yes and no. It has been observed that blind children who have never seen their relatives nevertheless quite accurately repeat their gestures and facial expressions.
Probably, many have noticed that the same parents have the first child - the spitting image of dad, the second - unusually similar to mom, and the third - a copy of grandfather. In this case, we are talking about the splitting of genes. The environment and family are the same, but the combinations of genes received by siblings are completely different.
Expert comment:“Parents themselves are unlikely to be able to figure out what will be inherited by the child. It is not at all necessary that dark-haired mothers and fathers will have the same dark-haired child, and fair-haired - fair-haired. In this case, the genealogy of a person, the history of ancestors on both sides, has a great influence. A specialist geneticist will help to figure it out, but he will also have to seriously delve into the family tree. ”
What is inherited: the appearance of the child
Growth is also difficult to predict. If the parents are very tall, the baby, most likely, will also reach the Kolomna verst. Dad is big and mom is petite? The child will probably stop at the average. However, proper baby food, and sufficient sleep for the child, and active sports, and even the climate have a great influence.
The results of scientific research suggest that the level of human intelligence is mainly determined by maternal, not paternal genes. This means that in order to give birth to a smart child, there is absolutely no need to "hunt" for Nobel laureates.
Mothers are more likely to pass on the genes responsible for mental abilities, since these genes are linked to the X chromosome, which in women is represented in two copies, while in men - in one, writes The Independent.
Moreover, as the researchers suggest, based on the latest scientific data, "intelligent" genes received from the father can be automatically deactivated in the offspring.
The fact is that the genes responsible for intelligence are included in the category of genes controlled by sex, which behave differently depending on their origin. Some are active only if they are inherited from the father, and some are only active if they are inherited from the mother. "Intellectual" genes just belong to the last variety.
As shown by studies conducted on genetically modified laboratory mice, individuals with an excessive dose of maternal genes grow large brains, and the body develops poorly. Conversely, in mice with an excess of paternal genes, the body grows large, but the brain remains small.
By studying the distribution of cells containing only maternal and only paternal genes in the brains of mice, scientists found that cells with paternal genes prevail in the ancient limbic system of the brain and are responsible for such basic things as sex, food and aggression. At the same time, not a single "paternal" cell was found in the cerebral cortex, which is responsible for the most advanced cognitive functions - thinking, speech, memory, and planning one's actions.
The fact that these data are also true for humans was confirmed by researchers from the University of Glasgow (UK). Every year since 1994, they have tested the mental abilities of nearly 13,000 young people aged 14 to 22.
Genetics is one of the most mysterious and interesting sciences. Of course, the child inherits the genes of both parents, but he will take some dominant traits from his father - both good and not very good.
Here are the genetic traits that children inherit from their fathers:
1. Heart disease.
According to research conducted by scientists at the University of Leicester, men who carry a certain type of chromosome are almost 50% more likely to develop diseases that affect the coronary artery (a condition characterized by a decrease in oxygen delivery to the heart). And this feature can be passed on to sons.
2. Mental disorders.
Among the mental disorders that are passed from men to children are schizophrenia and ADHD. As the father ages, the risk increases as a man's DNA mutates over the years.
As for women, they are born with a certain set of eggs, and their DNA does not change throughout their lives.
"Fathers are four times more likely to have new mutations in their DNA because they continue to produce new sperm as they age."
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3. Crooked teeth.
Male genes for teeth and jaw shape are stronger than female ones. From the father, the child can receive not only crooked teeth, but also thin enamel.
4. Problems with childbearing.
Scientists say that poor sperm quality may be a genetic problem. If a child was born as a result of IVF, then, most likely, he will also suffer from infertility.
5. Gender of the child.
A forecast can be made by examining the family tree of the father. If the sperm carries the X chromosome, then when combined with the mother's X chromosome, there will be a girl.
And if the sperm has a Y-chromosome - a boy. The researchers speculate that the as yet undiscovered gene is responsible for determining how the X and Y chromosomes are distributed throughout the father's sperm.
6. The color of the child's eyes.
Because male genes are dominant over female genes, facial features and eye color are more likely to be the same as the father's.
7. Child growth.
Growth largely depends on paternal genes. Tall fathers produce tall children.
What about intellect?
1. Intelligence is not transmitted from father to son. That is, if the father is a genius, then his son 100% will not inherit these genes.
2. Idiocy from father to son is not transmitted. If the father is a complete idiot, then his son will not be. (here nature acted wisely).
3. Intelligence from the father is genetically transmitted only to the daughter. And that is half.
4. A man can inherit intelligence only from his mother, which she, in turn, inherited from her father.
5. The daughters of geniuses will be exactly half as smart as their fathers, but their sons will be geniuses. If their father is dumb, then daughters are half as dumb as their fathers.
6. Therefore, there are very few women of genius, as well as 100% idiots. But there are a lot of male geniuses and stupid males.
Conclusions for men:
1. To predict your son's intelligence, look at your wife's father (if he is an academic, then your son will be smart too).
2. Your daughter will get half your mind. But also half of your stupidity. In terms of intelligence, she will be closer to you. Her son will get all your mental powers. If you want a smart generation, dream of a grandson from your daughter.
3. Your mental abilities are from your mother, or rather from your grandfather.
Conclusions for women:
1. Your son is mentally a copy of your father, and scolding him “you are as dumb as your father” is not entirely true. You have to say, "you're as dumb as your grandfather" 🙂
2. Your daughter will be like you in upbringing, but in mind like her father. Her sons will be copies of your husband. That's what genetics is like! And who do you look like?
There are so many controversies, speculations and expectations around this topic that I want to know the opinion of experts. Myths about growing intellectuals comments Nadezhda Zyryanova, Candidate of Psychological Sciences, Associate Professor, Department of Psychogenetics, Lomonosov Moscow State University.
Myth one
The mind is inherited, and "bad" genes cannot be changed. In fact, the intelligence of a child depends both on genes and on the environment in which he grows up. This was proved by studies of the intellectual level of identical twins, who by chance were separated and brought up in different families, in different cultural environments. The genotype of these twins is the same, but the level of intelligence turned out to be different.
It is difficult to determine how intellectually gifted a child is, especially when he is very small, and it is impossible to change the genotype. But it is possible to create a rich environment for the development of all his natural abilities. The importance of the environment is also proved by the following fact: when children whose natural parents did not differ in intelligence and abilities were adopted by families that could provide these children with all the conditions for development, the intellectual level of the adopted children after communicating with their new smart parents increased significantly.
An interesting experiment was conducted by our psychologists. They observed a group of six-year-olds with the same IQ. Some of them stayed for another year in kindergarten, some went to school. A year later, the level of intelligence of those who went to school was higher than the level of intelligence of "kindergarteners". It is not surprising: the school offers a richer environment for development.
Myth two
The main thing is to give impetus to the development of intelligence at an early age, then everything will go by itself. Not true. In one study, American psychologists selected young children whose mothers had a very low level of intelligence and focused on their mental development and preparation for school. For several years of training, psychologists have managed to significantly increase the intelligence of these crumbs: some have an IQ higher by 30 points! When they entered school, they were ahead of many peers in development. But when the special classes ended, the children returned to the world of their underdeveloped relatives, began to study in ordinary schools, their intellectual level gradually decreased and became no higher than the average level of their peers.
Americans say about intelligence: "Use it or lose it" - use it, otherwise you will lose it. You have to constantly train your brain.
Myth three
Only communication with adults develops the child. This statement is true for babies. Yes, a child learns to speak, to think, by communicating with adults. Parents explain to him the meaning of new words, teach him new expressions, correct him when he pronounces something incorrectly. And babies, left to their own devices, twins, the weather, which parents leave for a long time in each other's company, begin to lag behind their peers in mental development.
But later, in school years, communication with peers is just as necessary as communication with adults. During the presidency of John F. Kennedy in the United States, a situation arose that scientists did not fail to take advantage of. Kennedy decided to combine schools for black and white children. Prior to this, the children of white and black Americans studied separately. The white parents of the state of Georgia - the descendants of South American planters - were categorically against such an innovation. They stopped taking their children to schools and the schools closed for two years. Children, and they were mostly from quite prosperous, wealthy families, studied with hired teachers at home. When the conflict was settled two years later and the children returned to school, it turned out that their IQ (in the United States they constantly measure the level of intelligence of schoolchildren) was significantly lower than the IQ of children from other states who did not interrupt their studies at school and continued to communicate with their peers. And this gap was eliminated only after 4 years.
Myth four
To get a smart child, you need to develop his logical thinking. Employees of the Department of Psychogenetics, Faculty of Psychology, Moscow State University conducted a long-term observation of the development of the intellect of a group of people from 6 years of age to 24 years of age. And we saw that the level of logical thinking was higher in those adolescents and young people who at the age of 6 were distinguished by rich visual-figurative thinking.
So do not rush to solve logical puzzles with preschoolers. Kids need to develop fantasy, imagination, imaginative thinking, compose more with them, draw, play. Play is a very important stage in a child's development. Our well-known psychologist, researcher of the world of childhood D. B. Elkonin said: if a child does not play well at preschool age, this will affect his further development.
Myth five
People of different nations differ in intelligence. In the United States, the intelligence of white and black races was constantly studied and compared. And in the past, it always turned out that whites have IQs, on average, about 15 points higher. From this it was concluded that blacks are a genetically defective race. But more recent research has shown that the cause of the difference in IQ levels is not genes, but environment. And 15 points is a typical difference in the level of intelligence of privileged segments of the population and groups with limited rights, regardless of nationality. When they determined the level of intelligence of representatives of black and white groups, equal in status in society, education, income, in the number of children in the family, in the spiritual values of their parents, it turned out that they had the same IQ.
And in Germany, they compared the intelligence of children from mixed marriages and children of ethnic Germans. And also in the same social groups there were no differences.
By the way
The American scientist J. R. Flynn calculated that in the second half of the 20th century the level of intelligence of all the inhabitants of the planet increased by about 20 points. We have become smarter. This is explained by the improvement of living conditions, the development of health care, a change in the structure of nutrition: we began to eat more proteins and vitamins ... And our rich information environment: the number of educated people is increasing, the general awareness of the population is growing.
Our reference
Philosophers under the intellect understand the ability to think and rationally know the world. Psychologists interpret this term more broadly: including not only logical thinking, but also the ability to learn quickly, find a way out of problem situations, and accumulate practical experience.
The Mormon Experience. The intellectual level of children from large families also depends very much on the education and social status of their parents. In educated families where children are taken care of, the level of intelligence of the first four is not lower than that of peers from one-child and small families. And only the fifth can be worse. It can be seen that our parents do not have enough strength for the fifth. In large families, where the parents themselves do not shine with either intelligence or education, a decline in intelligence is already observed in the second child, not to mention all subsequent ones.
However, in large families of Mormons and Quakers, who traditionally take care of their children a lot, the intelligence of their heirs does not decrease, regardless of what number they were born in.
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