DNA?As DNA is evolving, is it ever affected by societies influence?

Question

I'm wondering about the affects of slavery,gender bias, hunger etc. Do we affect our own DNA through these struggles and then pass on the result to offspring? Please answer in understandable language...science for dummies. Thanks.

Answer 1

I don't think there is a single case of an environmental influence mutating or affecting DNA in a specific, heritable way (meaning it can be passed on), consistently in a race, though I could be wrong. HOWEVER, having said that, there is no question that genetic frequencies have been influenced by slavery or other social pressures. Certain traits are favored in certain areas, and people were actually bred with one another to enhance and/or select for these traits. So although the DNA didn't necessarily evolve from this, there was a selection pressure applied that affected the genetic frequencies and traits of a race.

Answer 2

NO, Acquired traits are not passed on to offspring
Malnutrition and abuse may affect you physically and psychologically but it will not change your DNA and only your DNA is passed on to your children
This is called "Lamarckian Inheritance" and has been proven to be false
for example:
1. Bodybuilders- If a man works out and lifts weights and makes his muscles large, this trait is not passed on to his offspring, only the traits that are in his DNA.
2. Bonsai trees- Bonsai is a way of cutting trees to grow to be minature, just because these trees have been groomed this way for generations, new offspring which are not groomed will grow to a natural tall height
3. Circumcision - in the jewish faith there is the practice of circumcision, just because this has been practiced for many centuries, no jewish males are born already circumsized.

Answer 3

DNA is affected by the mixing of genes of mother and father, passed on to children, generation after generation. Each time there is a child, a new, unique string of DNA is created.

Natural factors like disease will affect weaker (or corrupt) strands of DNA. For example, there was a boy who was born without an immune system. He died before he could have children. He was not able to pass his unique feature (no immune system) to other children.

Social selection is another ball of wax. It was a theory explored by the Nazis in Germany. The basic tenet was by eliminating another race, your own race would be more "pure". However, notice that this actually leaves -less- possibilities for genetic recombination because there is now -less- genetic variety.

In order to be stronger, more resistant to disease, you need -more- genetic variety.

Answer 4

DNA is constructed from sequences of nucleobases. In every human generation approximately 0.0000006% (I think I have the number of zeros correct) of the nucleobases have transcription errors. Since evolution is change, I guess one can say that DNA does thus evolve. Any environmental factor that works to preserve or eliminate changes in the DNA (through differential rates of survival or reproduction of the host organism carrying the DNA) then drives the evolution of DNA (this process is known as evolution by natural selection).

Answer 5

No, acquired characters are not passed on. If you cut off your hand then you can rest assured your children would still have the full set of limbs.

What you're talking about is basically Lamarckianism. It was disproven by Darwin in the 19th century.