“Most scholars agree that there is a constant interplay between nature (heredity) and nurture (the environment). It is difficult to isolate the root of any single characteristic as a result solely of nature or nurture, and most scholars believe that even determining the extent to which nature or nurture impacts a human feature is difficult to answer. In fact, almost all human features are polygenic (a result of many genes) and multifactorial (a result of many factors, both genetic and environmental). It’s as if one’s genetic make-up sets up a range of possibilities, which may or may not be realized depending upon one’s environmental experiences… This bidirectional interplay between nature and nurture is the epigenetic framework Links to an external site. , which suggests that the environment can affect the expression of genes just as genetic predispositions can impact a person’s potentials. And environmental circumstances can trigger symptoms of a genetic disorder.”
Now, let’s think about children who live in stressful or at risk environments and how that may affect their development, health and behavior. You should think about equity issues in this conversation as well. What about the affect of poverty on a child’s development. Think about access to good nutrition for children (access to good food (food deserts), quality child care)? What about environmental risks – exposure to smoke, lead, etc.? How can we help children develop to their full potential?
Post a link to an article, journal, or YouTube video that relates to poverty in children from birth to age two.
https://bio.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Genetics/Online_Open_Genetics_(Nickle_and_Barrette-Ng)/12%3A_Regulation_of_Gene_Expression/12.06%3A_Epigenetics