Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Could Living in a Mentally Enriching Environment Change Your Genes?

Could Living in a Mentally Enriching Environment Change Your Genes?: Scientific American:
"Lamarckian theories about the influence of the environment were largely abandoned after scientists discovered that heritable traits are carried on the genes encoded by our DNA. A recent study, however, published by neuroscientists Junko A. Arai, Shaomin Li and colleagues at Tufts University, shows that not only does the environment an animal is reared in have marked effects on its ability to learn and remember, but also that these effects are inherited. The study suggests that we are not the mere sum of our genes: what we do can make a difference."


See also: Epigenetics

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