do we have birth defects because of inbreeding?

Question

if we erase chemicals and all other out side agents, could the reasion the human race has genitic defects be because of incest?

i am not trying to be sick just asking a simple question.

i ask because back thousands of years ago there were less humans and thus it would take less time for you to have sex with a relative (a few hundred times removed cousin).

i dont think the first guy that answer understand my question

so far the 3rd person is the only one who under stands what i am asking.

Answer 1

ya but other things can cause them too

Answer 2

It is difficult to narrow down what causes defects in genes because there are a lot of variables involved. Inbreeding can increase the chances of defects. With most of the defect with inbreeding that is because the parents were carriers and didnt know it. Cousins are not at the same risk of defects as a sister and brother would be. Most cousins are below 25% genetic relation, where siblings have a good 100% relation. If this is in refrence to Adam and Eve they were created as seperate beings of no relation but there children would create defects. If it were true the adam and eves children inbred then it would be safe to say that the human race would have more genetic flaws then it currently has...

Answer 3

In humans and many other species, sex is determined by two sex chromosomes called the X chromosome and the Y chromosome. Human females are typically XX, males are typically XY. The remaining pairs of chromosome are found in both sexes and are called autosomes, and genetic traits due to loci on these chromosomes are described as autosomal, and may be dominant or recessive. So a "birth defect" is more properly called an "autosomal recessive disorder". Keep reading. These autosomal recessive disorders occur in individuals who are homozygous for a particular recessive gene mutation. This means that they carry two copies (alleles) of the same gene. Except in certain rare circumstances (new mutations or uniparental disomy) both parents of an individual with such a disorder will be carriers of the gene. Such carriers are not affected and will not display any signs that they are carriers, and so may be unaware that they carry the mutated gene. As relatives share a proportion of their genes, it is much more likely that related parents will be carriers of an autosomal recessive gene, and therefore their children are at a higher risk of an autosomal recessive disorder. The extent to which the risk increases depends on the degree of genetic relationship between the parents; so the risk is greater in mating relationships where the parents are close relatives, but for relationships between more distant relatives, such as second cousins, the risk is lower (although still greater than the general population).

Answer 4

I would say definately. Of course, there are others due to simple genetic mutations, but look at humans vs other animals with incest. You can tell if a sibling or parent/child had a kid together- the baby is pretty stupid and messed up right away.
Cats, dogs, horses, and pretty much every other animal can be bred back a couple times before the obvious effects show up (that show up pretty much immediately in humans).
I would say your theory is a good one- geneticists have followed genetic tags (don't ask me how) that show that pretty much all of the people native to N. and S. America came from one small population in the india type region, while all of the "old world" came from Africa, which still has the most genetic diversity.

Answer 5

Well part of the reason incest is illegal in many countries is because the rate of birth defects is higher in the children of parents who are closely related to each other. Now, that's not necessarily the *reason* for defects - they're really just caused by random genetic mutations.

However, when two people with very similar genetic make-up (who therefore have many of the same gene mutations) have off-spring, the off-spring will be more likely to have genetic disorders.

Answer 6

Offspring resulting from a union of closely related individuals can increase the probability of genetic defects whether it be humans or any other animals. This is because it increases the odds of getting "bad (usually recessive) genes" together. In humans ,offspring will suffer a higher incidence of defects like hemophelia, color blindness, forms of feeblemindedness, etc. In domesticated animals, like dogs or cats, inbreeding can result in animals that have low resistance to disease or bad temperment.
Historically, some human families incouraged breeding within the family, like cousins, to keep the bloodline pure; many times with undesirable results.
I suppose, with a small gene pool, the odds of inbreeding are greater.
Good question.

Answer 7

The first guy was right, just curt. The third answer was no answer at all. You do not produce genetic defects by incest you just make the homozygous match of trait more likely to be expressed. Never use any other criteria, except correctness, to rate an answer you get from someone. Science is about the truth or it's approximation; not about smooth delivery.

Answer 8

Interesting theory. Nature is constantly "experimenting" with species, including us, to see what works.

People inter-marry in their own cultures very frequently. Its what's accepted in the world, however, I've noticed that "blended" children (parents of two different cultures) many times are far more attactive then children with parents of the same culture. This is Darwinism at work and is all about diversification of the species.

I think if more people expanded their views and married outside their cultures more, we'd have a far healthier and stronger population.

Answer 9

No, because there always going to be random mutations of genes. That's how a lot of defects are introduced into the population at the first place.

Answer 10

of course because you genes are to close together wich will cause malfunctions. the genitcs have broken down over the years u are really relate to everyone but the genes are broken down so far there wouldn't be any defects as long as its not like a sis or cuz uncle immediate family memebers.

Answer 11

Yes, notice how lots of royals have six fingers. They had them because of having children with their blood relitives, to keep the line "pure".