Nature VIA Nurture

To prepare for this portion of the dialog, the video Epigenetics located at:

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/body/epigenetics.html

The argument of Nature vs. Nurture is dead and long since gone with the completion of the Human Genome Project in 2003. Science has now demonstrated that each of us is the product of BOTH our genetic makeup AND the environment in which we develop. Our genes, in turn, have been shaped over time by the process of evolution. After viewing the video, define “epigenetic” and “epitasis”, and give a unique example of each. Then discuss how nature, nurture and evolution affect the development of an individual and how researchers determine the relative influence of heredity and environment.

(For the purpose of this discussion students are asked to stay away from the philosophical arguments of religion and evolution and instead focus on the bio-physiological material contained within the text.)