Plastic brains: how upbringing makes little difference to personality

  • 📰 IrishTimes
  • ⏱ Reading Time:
  • 47 sec. here
  • 2 min. at publisher
  • 📊 Quality Score:
  • News: 22%
  • Publisher: 98%

Ireland Headlines News

Ireland Latest News,Ireland Headlines

A Trinity neurogeneticist’s book may become highly influential in the field and beyond

who has written an engaging science book, Innate: How the Wiring of Our Brains Shapes Who We Are.

TCD genetics professor David McConnell reminded those at the book’s launch that the brain is a stunningly complicated structure. It is estimated that 86 billion neurons are formed before a child is born. Brain wiring proceeds through biochemistry, but critically this is buffeted by random events. “Though our personality stays the same, our behaviour does change with our experience,” he says. Neuroscientists now view the brain as far more plastic than once assumed. It shifts with experience, much like a muscle changes with exercise. Personality also helps us choose experiences that may reinforce our traits.

One reason is that females have two X chromosomes, whereas males have one. This means for girls genes on the X chromosome come as pairs. If one produces a faulty protein, there is a back-up copy. If there is a fault in a gene in a boy, the mutation will have a more severe impact, as there is no second gene.

 

Thank you for your comment. Your comment will be published after being reviewed.
Please try again later.
We have summarized this news so that you can read it quickly. If you are interested in the news, you can read the full text here. Read more:

 /  🏆 3. in İE

Ireland Latest News, Ireland Headlines

Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.

'She wanted to make a difference': HPV vaccine campaigner Laura Brennan has diedOne of Ireland's leading HPV vaccine campaigners Laura Brennan has died today And indeed she did make a difference. Sad news Gone way toooo soon,rest in peace x What an amazing inspirational lady, and advocating right up until the end. Such a sad waste of a life. May her hard work and legacy continue amongst our young population. RIP 🌻🌻
Source: thejournal_ie - 🏆 32. / 50 Read more »

The rolling benefits of banking that brain healthResearch lives: Dr Sabina Brennan’s ‘100 Days to a Younger Brain’ is a revealing read
Source: IrishTimes - 🏆 3. / 98 Read more »

Starving whale found dead with 40kg of plastic in its stomachA necropsy performed on the animal found about 40 kilograms of plastic, including grocery bags and rice sacks. Stop buying plastic bags of any kind. Haven't bought one plastic bag in over a year. We all need to do our bit.
Source: thejournal_ie - 🏆 32. / 50 Read more »

88 pounds of plastic found inside dead whale in the Philippines | JOE.ieA dead whale off the coast of the Philippines has washed ashore with a large amount of plastic waste found inside his stomach. What have we done 🌍 🐋 💔 Greedy bastid. Thanks human scum
Source: JOEdotie - 🏆 31. / 51 Read more »

Dead Philippines whale had 40kg of plastic in stomachA starving whale with 40kg of plastic trash in its stomach has died after being washed ashore in the Philippines, activists have said, calling it one of the worst cases of poisoning they have seen. What are we doing people, when this is allowed to happen?. This is disgusting. Society needs to change but industry needs to step up also and reduce plastic use Goodness me that is horrifying. Plastic waste is a huge huge problem. It needs immediate affirmative action.
Source: rtenews - 🏆 1. / 99 Read more »

'Little friendly' Jack Russell dog mauled to death by pitbull 'let off its lead''Little friendly' Jack Russell dog mauled to death by pitbull 'let off its lead' in Dublin
Source: IrishMirror - 🏆 4. / 98 Read more »