Neurogenetics - Behavioral Neurogenetics

Behavioral Neurogenetics

Advances in molecular biology techniques and the species-wide genome project have made it possible to map out an individual's entire genome. Whether genetic or environmental factors are primarily responsible for an individual's personality has long been a topic of debate. Thanks to the advances being made in the field of neurogenetics, researchers have begun to tackle this question by beginning to map out genes and correlate them to different personality traits. There is little to no evidence to suggest that the presence of a single gene indicates that an individual will express one style of behavior over another; rather, having a specific gene could make one more predisposed to displaying this type of behavior. It is starting to become clear that most genetically influenced behaviors are due to the effects of multiple genes, in addition to other neurological regulating factors like neurotransmitter levels. Aggression, for example, has been linked to at least 16 different genes, many of which have been shown to have different influences on levels of serotonin and dopamine, neurotransmitter density, and other aspects of brain structure and chemistry. Similar findings have been found in studies of impulsivity and alcoholism. Due to fact that many behavioral characteristics have been conserved across species for generations, researchers are able to use animal subjects such as mice and rats, but also fruit flies, worms, and zebrafish, to try to determine specific genes that correlate to behavior and attempt to match these with human genes.