Is Intelligence Hereditary?

   

This article asks the question, is intelligence hereditary (can it be passed down)? In an attempt to answer this,  scientists have studied whether intelligence is passed down through families for a long time. To do this, they studied intelligence levels based on people raised with their biological parents in comparison with their adoptive parents.  They discovered that genes play a substantial role, accounting for about half of the differences in intelligence among people. They also discovered that genes aren't the only factor in this though—environmental influences are essential for the development of intelligence too. Recent studies suggest that hundreds, maybe even thousands, of genes are involved in intelligence, but we're still far from understanding it completely. Genetic influence on intelligence seems to increase as people grow older, which may be due in part with the stages of the development of the prefrontal cortex.  Understanding the genetic basis of intelligence could help us prevent or improve cognitive problems in the future.

Reading this was rather surprising to me, especially the part that mentioned that children that are separated from their biological parents due to adoption tend to be as similar to their biological parents as those who aren't separated at all. This brings to mind an argument as old as time, is nurture or nature the biggest contributor to the way people behave? Solely based on this article, I would say the way people have a big say in the way they will turn out, but I think when it really comes down to it, we are all born with some instincts that couldn't possibly have been learned. 

Sources

1. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/is-intelligence-hereditary/

2. https://neurosciencenews.com/intelligence-genetics-brain-22936/ (Alternative Link & Image)

Suicide Genetics

    Suicide happens to be one of the leading causes for death and was the cause of over 48,000 deaths in 2021. From the year 2000 until then suicide rates had gone up 36%, and now new research is identifying gene variants that are associated with the increased risk of attempting suicide. This research of genes had also found connections to physical and mental health issues, chronic pain, ADD/ADHD, lung conditions, and heart disease.  

    The data collected for this came from 22 different populations which had ethnic backgrounds as well and showed that the effect came from different genes and not just one gene influencing risk. When taking genetic suicide attempts and comparing it to over 1,000 other health issues, the researchers found an overlap in mental health conditions and physical health conditions. It was also told that just because you have one of these health factors does not mean that you are at a high risk for suicide; That only containing combinations of genetic predisposition and having other stressors on top of that can increase your risk for a suicide attempt.

    What was identified in the study was gene variants and how they control processes in cells that are related to managing people's stress, repairing their damaged DNA, and also interacting with the immune system. At the end of this research, it was concluded that this data is not the cause, but that new pathways have been found to help in assessing and treating suicide risk. This will result in exploring common biological factors in mental and physical health conditions. 

Source:

Largest-Ever Study of Suicide Genetics Gives Clues to Who's at Risk (usnews.com)

Other:

Facts About Suicide | Suicide | CDC

Artificial and biological cells work together as mini chemical factories

This study which was created by a team from the Imperial College London can control the ability of biological cells to process and operate chemicals by also protecting these chemicals from environmental stress. Professor Oscar Ces at Imperial said: "Our new system bridges the gap between these two approaches by fusing whole biological cells with artificial ones so that the machinery of both works in concert to produce what we need." This advancement in biology can certainly be used to save the lives of millions with the success of artificial cells but there are still some things missing such as an outer artificial coating which could act as a biological membrane. To produce such artificial cells, the team used microfluidics. Since water and oil do not mix, they produced tiny droplets with cells and enzymes within them which acted as biological cells with an artificial coating which would give the cell protection. The team tested these artificially created cells in copper which is known to be very dangerous to cells and the team still managed to detect the fluorescent chemicals which in turn meant that these artificially created cells survived and still remained function. Understanding how these cells function and maintain such adaptability in toxic environments is important for future biological development. 

Link to Article: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/03/180313091810.htm

Original Study Link: http://www.imperial.ac.uk/news/185247/artificial-biological-cells-work-together-mini/

Three Biological Parents and a Baby

In this article we explore the case of Alana Saarinen. Alana was conceived using the genetic material of three individuals. A male and female provided the egg and sperm while a second female provided the genetic material for Alana's mitochondria. This procedure, however, stuck major controversy. The Food and Drug Administration deemed the procedure to be unsafe. Some even argued that mixing the DNA of two women was unethical. Each mitochondrion has it's own set of 37 genes inherited from the mothers. If a woman were to have a defect in her mitochondria a fertilization technique similar to the one used to conceive Alana would be ideal. Alana does not consider the second woman to be her third parent but rather considers her to be a mitocondria donater. 

It had been found that the process by which Alana was conceived was quite risky. Many fetuses did not survive because they were suspected to have a missing X chromosome. Other children that were born healthy were found to have poor cognitive function a year or two after their birth. Many of these children were said to have autism.   Although this procedure has been known to be a risky procedure there have been many promising and successful results including the case of Alana. If it is possible to conceive a baby with healthy mitochondria using a safe and proven procedure I feel that the opportunity should definitely be taken.

Primary Article: http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/12/16/three-biological-parents-and-a-baby/

Secondary Article: http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-28986843

Better Batteries Through Biology? Modified Viruses Boost Battery Performance

Researchers at MIT have found that using genetically altered viruses can increase the performance of lithium-air batteries. The main function facilitating this is  a mixture of water and minerals and placing the virus inside. The virus then carries out several reactions with whats in the solution to produce a wire as small as a red blood cell. The upside to these wires as opposed to normally produced nano wires is that the surface of the wire is not smooth, it is spiky and rough. This greatly increases the surface area which will increase the conductivity.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/11/131113125831.htm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pUVrUIV4xu4