Our Genes , Our Choices , 2nd Edition (EPUB)

Our Genes , Our Choices , 2nd Edition (EPUB)

by author David Goldman

The second edition of Our Genes , Our Choices : How Genotype and Gene Interactions Affect Behaviour

shows how a limited number of genes control neurodevelopmental sequences , which in turn determines human behaviour , including conceptions of free will . Do genes dictate behaviour or do people have free will ? The answer to both queries is , paradoxically, “yes,” thanks to a new theory with significant consequences called neurogenetic uniqueness . This is a lifelong process that is guided by individual genotype , molecular and physiologic principles , as well as by randomness and environmental exposures , a combination of factors that we choose and do not choose .

Author David Goldman illustrates this point using examples from the fields of law , politics , medicine and ethics . The book covers the scientific and historical foundations of genetics , provides helpful explanations of DNA function and provides an introduction to the fields of epigenetics and behavioural genetics . It is written in an authoritative but approachable tone .

Over the ten years since the first edition was released , genomic technologies have revolutionised our understanding of the genetic influences on the neurogenetic foundations of behaviour . For instance , genome-wide association studies have shown that an inclination to take risks and susceptibility to mental illness are influenced by hundreds of genes . The emphasis of this revised version is on free choice and its neurogenetic roots .

Furthermore , a thorough discussion of the application of polygenic scores for behavioural prediction is provided , taking into account the revolutionary GWAS (Genome-Wide Association Study) and the combined use of genetic predictors in polygenic scores . Additionally, the entire section on epigenetics has been greatly enlarged, clarified, and connected to neuroplasticity and gene-environment interaction . Updates to disease nomenclature and terminology have been made, along with the addition or improvement of figures and images throughout .

updates to the 2013 BMA Medical Book Award for Basic and Clinical Sciences First Prize winner , the previous version identifies and addresses ethical responsibility issues brought up by contemporary genetics and neuroscience examines the neurogenetic basis of free will and human behaviour . includes revised language , better graphics and extended sections on the neurogenetic foundation of free will , polygenic risk scores and epigenetic impact over behaviour .

See also : Genetic Disorders and Rare Diseases : Current Updates (Original PDF from Publisher)