Nature vs.

Nurture
Standing as one of the oldest debates, psychologist have dedicated mindless hours, as well as
countless years, searching for the answer between nature versus nurture. Does heredity traits or
traits built from the environment around us cause certain behaviors? This question has branched
out over the many years with inquiries such as, what of the two is more important and what are
the effects of our traits by our personality? While there are no hard-hitting evidence, there are
many theories behind each belief. By pursuing each idea, we can learn of the third option,
epigenetics.
Epigenetics or the research of additional changes in the genetic sequence, is only changed
through phenotype and not of the genotype. These small modifications determines which genes
the cells are able to read or not. Such changes in the sequence can be made through the help of
old age, or risk factors like tobacco assumption or overindulging in alcohol. However there are
also common factors, like receiving affection from your parents, which may later trigger you to
deliver the same affections to your offsprings.
There is not enough resources on the aspects of epigenetics because the main source is found
through understanding both the brain and mental works of ones system. One of the more wellknown theories for nature versus nurture would be of Darwins natural selection. Ideas on natural
selection plays on the role of nature, as the environment clinches on the aspects of who is to
survive and who is to die. By looking at this on a more psychologist view, this was able to be
developed through the alterations of gene selection.
Many of the more well-known researches to further find evidence is supported by the study of
twins. Identical twins are researched to a more selective amount as they carry the same DNA.
With that knowledge, researches can deduced that any changes or differences is caused from
their environment.
While this explains why identical twins have different DNA when they are separated by birth,
people do not get the same outlook when the twins are in the same environment. This arouses
holes on the controversy of nature versus nurture, on the account that neither the internal forces,
nor the external factors played a part in the alterations of the sequence. However, epigenetics
introduces the factor of its ability to turn off and turn on certain genes through the means of
histone. Histones are proteins wrapping the DNA that works to squeeze certain genes in order to
prevent the cells from reading it. This makes the trait to be invisible in ones personality and
therefore provides everyone with a unique and different personality, as well as identical twins.
Understanding the outlooks of epigenetics helps to overcome any confusion of the inquires of
nature vs. nurture. While the question remains of which of the two is more of importance, we can
learn that it is no longer just nature or nurture, but instead a third, epigenetics.