Genetics: Easy as ABC

We all have mental health. Mental health is our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. We can have good mental health, but unfortunately, we can also experience poor mental health, with 1 in 4 people experiencing mental health issues at some point in their lives. Increased understanding, awareness and acceptance around mental health issues has come from the hard work of advocacy groups, but also from scientific research. Scientists have been able to explain many aspects of mental health, including the biological factors contributing to poor mental health. One of these factors: our genes. Scientists have long since discredited the ridiculous notion that mental health issues are caused because of a weakness in person’s character. Research has found that mental health issues are instead caused by a combination of biological, environmental and psychological factors. One of these biological factors is a person’s genetics, and twin studies have been used to show how genes may pla...

“There is only one page left to write on. I will fill it with words of only one syllable. I love. I have loved. I will love.” Art, music, poetry, books, and plays have tried to depict the feeling of love for centuries. We hear about puppy love, star-crossed lovers, soulmates and more. But what determines who we fall in love with? Is it their smooth talking? Amazing personality? Striking good looks? Or could it be due to your genes? Scientists have often posed questions which try to determine what love is and if there is a reason behind why we love who we love. The emotion of Love has been divided into three categories : lust, attraction, and attachment, and each of these categories are driven by a different set of hormones: Lust by testosterone and oestrogen; attraction by dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin; and attachment by oxytocin and vasopressin. So now we know a potential answer to the questions ‘what is love?,’ we can now begin to understand if there is a scientific reaso...

Was Ted Bundy a serial killer because of his troubled childhood? Was Jeffrey Dahmer a murderer because of his alcohol abuse? Did Aileen Wuornos kill because she was abused as a child? True crime stories and the reasons behind why such atrocities are committed are a source of fascination amongst many of us, but also to many scientists. Studies show there are many things which might increase the likelihood of committing a serious crime, like murder, these include upbringing, drug and alcohol abuse, pre-natal stress and even your genetics. Twin studies have helped separate the environmental and genetic factors that influence criminal behaviour. One study investigated 3,226 male twins; interestingly, they found that before the age of 15, the environment a person was brought up in had more influence on criminal activity compared to genetic factors. However, after the age of 15, the persons genetics had more of an influence over criminal activity compared to shared environmental factors. By...