The role of genetics in our social interactions and environment

Nature vs. Nurture has been constantly applied to human interactions for decades. This article provides adequate detail about just how genetics has been apart of this process. The context of this work touches on issues such as how studies of the 5-HTT mutations can affect the person's emotions, more specifically how they can regulate them. Another main concern would be how our levels of oxytocin are controlled by inheritable genes or are they? There are millions of outcomes inside the human body that result from the intermixing of our parents genes. This article takes that idea a step further to see how the outside world can too make an influence on our genotypes and phenotypes. I find it very interesting that there are so many different factors that can affect how a person acts and matures to be. 

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Another useful article that can be used to further explore this side of genetics can be found : http://www.sciencedaily.com

Is Empathy in our Genes

A Health.com article among other articles found discusses whether our emotional reactions to others is the result of coding in our genes. A new study suggests that traits such as being open, caring and trusting are linked so closely with this genes, that a trained individual monitoring human interactions could determine whether there was variation in said gene. Previous studies have also linked genes to behaviors such as bonding empathy and anxiety. This gene acts as a docking station for the chemical oxytocin found in the brain. People with two "G" variants of this receptor tend to have better social skills and higher self esteem while those with at least one "A" variant have a more difficult time with stress and have worse mental health.

It is also important to recognize that these oxytocin receptors are not the only determining factor of social behavior. Life experiences and surroundings are known to effect the oxytocin receptors, thus affecting an individuals social behavior. Having the "A" variant does not automatically result in poor social skills, but it is interesting to see thehigh correlation between the two. 

Angry Mice

When sexual reproduction happens there is a process called imprinting that happens. This process is the act of activating genes from either the father, or mother side of the parentage. Researchers have recently uncovered that lab mice with their fathers gene Grb10, caused the mice to be more aggressive. This social dynamic was found by a group of scientists that were at the Department of Biology & Biochemistry and Centre for Regenerative Medicine, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath, UK  and was published in the Nature Journal. This group found that mice altered during embryonic growth to shut off one gene and always activate another showed dramatically higher aggression in social situations. "Thus Grb10 is, so far, a unique imprinted gene, able to influence distinct physiological processes, fetal growth and adult behaviour, owing to actions of the two parental alleles in different tissues." Most importantly, humans carry this gene as well. And what proves true for lab mice may prove true for us as well.