Professor of American studies and history Matthew Frye Jacobson explains that eugenics was a popular topic in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, often referred to by politicians in the discussion of American expansionism. Professor Jac...
Using twin and adoption studies, behavior geneticists can mathematically estimate the degree to which variation among individuals can be attributed to their differing genes. The concept is heritability, the extent to which genes predispose certain...
Genes are DNA segments that provide the code for assembling protein molecules, the building blocks of human development. All of our abilities and behaviors have some genetic component. Whether or not the genes get turned on or off may depend the...
Dean Hamer, Director of the Gene Structure and Regulation Unit at the National Cancer Institute, talks about efforts to determine, "...whether or not there is a genetic basis for why some people find it easy to stop smoking, and other people find it...
Dean Hamer, Director of the Gene Structure and Regulation Unit at the National Cancer Institute, observes that alcoholism, "...clearly has some genetic basis because, identical twins, even if they're raised apart, are very similar for this." Dr. Ham...
Dr. Andrew Leuchter, Director of Adult Psychiatry at UCLA, explains that, "...it's clear that there are genetic predispositions to development of Alzheimer's disease late in life..." Dr. Leuchter adds that some of those who develop Alzheimer's disea...
Dr. Ed McCabe, Chief of the Mattel Children's Hospital at UCLA, talks about the process he follows when a couple comes to him without a known history of disease or genetic red flags. Dr. McCabe explains that he begins with a very detailed family his...
Every cell of the human body carries 23 pairs of chromosomes. The chemical substance within each chromosome--the DNA--contains hundreds, sometimes thousands of different genes, depending on the size of the chromosome. Genes direct the formation of t...
Dean Hamer, Director of the Gene Structure and Regulation Unit at the National Cancer Institute, talks about a family in Holland that included multiple individuals who were violent criminals. This behavior prompted scientists to explore possible gen...
Dean Hamer, Director of the Gene Structure and Regulation Unit at the National Cancer Institute, talks about the link between the gene involved in dopamine metabolism and the personality of those who tend to be thrill seekers.