Blue Eyes
The homology behind the blue eye phenotype makes me rethink dominant versus recessive genes in the United States. Due to the diversity, more sense directs towards targeting each ethnic environment. For example, blue eyes remain recessive in the diverse United States; whereas, blue eyes are a dominant gene in the Balkans. In addition, I always thought people relate to one another through common ancestors. A lack of melanin, or any other genetic mutation, simply shows the diversity in people that makes the anatomy of the human species more fascinating.
Nature vs. Nurture
I believe genotype and phenotype has a 33.3% effect on our behavior and mental processes, and environment has a 66.6% effect on our behavior and mental processes. The debate of nature versus nurture brings nothing new to the table, as the concept has existed since the beginnings of psychology. In the present day, environment takes its toll to change people's lives. For example, nearly every significant landmark in medical history defies the laws of nature. Transplants, prosthetics, glasses, and even braces changes people's lives everyday. Even without these medical advancements, environment can affects the possible degree of self consciousness and peer pressure. A region where people voluntarily pay for plastic surgery foils a region where people feel comfortable with their phenotypes. For example, emerging Korean actors are opting out of over doing plastic surgery to stay unique to themselves. Before, so many people paid for eye jobs, nose jobs, jaw shavings, etc. that they started looking alike. Yet fans expected South Korean idols to uphold preferred phenotypes. Genotypes and phenotypes may provide initial characteristics, but environment determines character.
This particular picture came from a Tumblr site dedicated to showing the before and after pictures of Korean idols who underwent the extremes of plastic surgery. This person had what I like to call "the Classic South Korean Make Over", it includes larger eyes, smaller nose, a shaved jaw line, and whitened skin. An example in Koran media culture where the environment of media takes precedence over the genotype of her natural face.
Anna, I think the example you provided of the Korean idol who underwent plastic surgery did an excellent job of proving the influence the environment can have on a person in terms of media. It exemplifies that though phenotypes and genotypes can influence us, the environment can shape us in such a way that overpowers our original state, even completely altering the way a person was born to look.
ReplyDeleteAnna,
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, plastic surgery is a perfect example of environment triumphing over nature. A person can choose to alter their phenotype, the ultimate slap in the face to genetics. This raises some ethical concerns, as soon enough parents will be able to 'design a baby' using yet-to-be-discovered sciences.
I think our idea of attraction is slightly to do with the golden ratio, a rate that emphasizes proper cell division and production. We can see it in pine cones and the inside of sunflowers, but I would debate that this idea of beauty is programmed within us to allow us to seek a mate with proper and beneficial genes to pass on to our offspring, and may be more underlying than just environmental influences.
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