Term Paper on "How Genetics Affect Child Development"

Term Paper 5 pages (1393 words) Sources: 3

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Genetics and Child Development

Child Genetics

Genetic research shows that genetic content of a child account for their characteristics and behavior. The environment also plays a vital role in child development. It is increasingly evident that no single fact can explain the intricacies of change and growth from childhood to old age. Environmental and biological factors are almost similar and related, and it is sometimes difficult to separate behaviors environmentally influenced and biologically influenced. Different genetic contents elicit different reactions from their parents, and different environments result to differences among individuals. Different researches have been carried out to determine the extent to which genes affect behavior in children; conclusions made show behavior in children has some genetic input.

Effect of genes on development

Biological factors are chromosomes, genes, human reproduction and cell division; which affect the building blocks of the human organism. Genetic factors also determine a child's physical traits, however, behavioral and emotional patterns might be influenced by genetic factors, but not always; an excellent example is attention deficit hyperactive disorder which is a disorder strongly linked to genes. Environmental factors are social, ecologic, psychological influences, which affect the child's growth.

From conception, hereditary and genetics have a noteworthy effect on the foetal development and growth. These genetic contents affect the way a child grows physically, socially and interpersonally. Genes determine the physical and also the chemical properties that govern the function and every structure of the body cells. The genes and molecules are influential on who the child will become. The chromosomes and genes of the child are unique, and have instructions which determine the child's eye color, sex, height, and predisposition for certain illnesses. Sometimes the genes trigger the metabolic system to work correctly. There is also a belief that genetics sometimes influence certain behaviors like depression, addictive behaviors, homosexuality, or even violent behaviors (Bowden, 2009, pg 78).

Living things transmit genetic codes, which specify a certain growth pattern, and it influences the organization of the offspring. Inheritance patterns include recessive and dominant inheritance. The patterns influence transmission of traits; some of these traits are hair color, eye color and genetic defects. At conception, linkage of the parent's sex chromosomes determines the child's gender. The gender affects child development and growth in the context of physical, social and personal characteristics. External and internal sex-specific genes are present at birth, and the differences continue to be seen as the child grows. Physical traits that influence physical growth include height, hair distribution and physical physique. Longevity and heath are also seen to be prevalent in one gender, hence influenced by genes. An excellent example is hemophilia, color blindness and muscular dystrophy, which are common in males and scoliosis is prevalent in women. Female infants have higher survival rate than the same age male infants, and females have a longer lifespan than the male.

Traits are distributed among biologically related people, and those who are not biologically related; these traits are studied using family of related members, twins and adopted people. This results in pinning down the genes underlying various traits. Related people have a high concentration of genes caused by hereditary factors.

Children learn and acquire their attitudes, and behaviors attributed to their feminine or masculine roles through the process of gender identification. Throughout the development course, the attributes are evident. Genes influence gender identification; hence influence how children perceive themselves as gender typed. The genes also play a vital role in psychiatric traits like IQ and personality and distributed scientific disorders. Where the influence of genes is most evident, is during puberty and menopause where there is turning on and off of genes. It is also evident that genetics are mostly depicted during infancy to childhood and early to middle childhood.

Genetic influences appear to be responsible for stability rather than change in psychological variables like in intelligence. Continuing genetic effects contribute to stability, like in old age. These genetic effects, which appear in transitional stages, appear to contribute to qualitative changes observed in children's cognitive abilities at these ages. With cognitive abilities, the genetic changes influence the stability of socio-emotional development (Benson, 2012, pg 166). There is also stability in the adolescents, after… READ MORE

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