How many of our
characteristics are determined
at birth?
Some humans acquire many
characteristics at birth. They are
known as nativists
Many diseases are determined by
genetic inheritance such as
Huntington's, cystic fibrosis, etc.
How are genetic diseases passed
down from parent to offspring?
Genetically inherited diseases are caused
by a mutation in one copy of a gene. If a
parent has a dominant genetic disease the
child has a 50% chance of inheriting the
disease.
Nurture, which is experienced from birth onward
Eugenics
Humans can be bread from birth to improve genetic quality of a
population
Positive
Manipulating human heredity or
breeding to produce superior people
Sexual education, abortions, tax
incentives for parents, etc.
Negative
Improving the quality of the human
race by eliminating biologically
inferior people.
Nazi Germany
Sought to create master Aryan race by eliminating
other races, the disabled, etc.
In 1875 Galton studies 159 pairs of
twins. He found that twins did not
follow normal distribution of similarity
but were either very alike or not at all.
Where nature and nurture are forced to compete,
nature triumphs