The nature nurture debate in relation to individual development Essay Example

humans, each individual has 23 pairs of chromosomes with one member inherited from the father and the other from the mother.

Chromosomal abnormalities and gene mutations result in protein defects that cause genetic diseases like Down syndrome, cystic fibrosis, and phenylketonuria (PKU). PKU is a genetic disorder that impairs the body's ability to properly utilize essential amino acids. Amino acids are typically obtained through food consumption since our bodies do not naturally produce them. Individuals with PKU have a defective enzyme called phenylalanine hydroxylase found in most tissues of their bodies. This defect severely affects brain development and leads to learning difficulties.

Individuals with this genetic disorder can manage it by adhering to a specialized diet that excludes high-protein foods like meat, eggs, milk, and cheese. It is also essential for them to avoid food containing artificial phenylalanine-free protein. People with Down's syndrome possess an extra chromosome in some or all of their cells, resulting in physical traits such as large ears, slanted and upward-sloping eyes, a small mouth, a flat nose bridge, and poor muscle tone. This genetic condition affects their development and presents challenges in health and learning. Although there is no cure for Down's syndrome, various treatments including speech therapy, educational programs, and physiotherapy can address it. Cystic fibrosis is an inherited disease that poses life-threatening risks due to its impact on the transportation of salts and water across cell membranes.

Cystic Fibrosis impacts multiple organs, including the lungs, intestines, pancreas, and digestive tract. It causes the production of dense secretions, resulting in symptoms like coughing, chest infections, weight gain issues, and abnormal stools. These symptoms have a profound effect on an individual's overall growth

and health. Gene therapy is utilized in the early stages of development as a treatment for this condition.

There are multiple factors that contribute to individual development, including lifestyle experiences, social-economic conditions, environmental factors, and biological factors. During the period from conception to birth, the child is influenced by the mother's internal environment. This environment has a significant impact on the child's biological development and can be influenced by alcohol consumption and infectious agents. The first few weeks after birth are especially important because the embryo is highly sensitive to the effects of alcohol.

Excessive alcohol consumption during early pregnancy poses a risk to the baby's health, potentially causing foetal alcohol syndrome. This syndrome is characterized by delays in physical and intellectual development, as well as various physiological disorders affecting the nervous system, along with abnormalities in the skull and face. It is crucial to gather more information about determining the genotypes of parents. Infections caused by bacteria and viruses can also result in diseases that may be passed from the mother to her unborn child. Examples include HIV, syphilis, hepatitis B, rubella, toxoplasmosis, and listeriosis; all of these can have an impact on development in the uterus. Sexually transmitted diseases such as genital herpes and weeping ulcers on the cervix, vagina, and vulva increase infection risks for newborns during delivery through the birth canal which could potentially lead to blindness. Moreover, environmental factors like pollution from traffic fumes can affect lung development and other body systems during child development.

Air pollutants can have a range of negative impacts on our health, affecting the respiratory system and causing infections like bronchitis and pneumonia. They can also lead to

respiratory diseases such as lung cancer, heart disease, and damage to various organs like the brain nerves, liver, or kidneys.
According to Val Michie, noise pollution - which includes loud background noise from sources like airplanes, washing machines, and televisions - has been linked to delayed intellectual development.
There are various opportunities available for personal growth and development throughout our lives. These include recreational and leisure facilities that promote growth.
Eleanor Langridge suggests that personal growth relies on intellectual skills such as learning, understanding creativity decision making problem solving emotional and social skills confidence self-esteem interaction abilities communication skills teamwork capabilities awareness of personal social community responsibilities Finally physical fitness mobility coordination are also essential factors in personal growth.

Accessing health and social care services is crucial for monitoring growth and development at different life stages. Insufficient access to these services can result in the lack of identification and resolution of individuals' growth and development, leading to social and health inequities and disadvantages. Factors such as employment significantly contribute to an individual's development. Having one's own income is vital for growth and development as it enables individuals to acquire numerous skills and knowledge. Employment provides opportunities for personal growth, including developing responsibility, punctuality, interpersonal relationships, and teamwork skills. Development can be challenged in multiple ways, including socially (maintaining relationships, cooperating with others), emotionally (improved self-confidence, changing roles), and intellectually (learning and understanding, using different skills). Employment brings various responsibilities and facilitates intellectual development through learning.

Through imparting knowledge on prudent financial management, individuals acquire the capacity to afford and partake in nourishing food that facilitates physical growth. Moreover, employment influences both social interactions and economic autonomy, thereby contributing to socio-emotional

advancement. It grants people the ability to make purchases, which in turn cultivates self-assurance and self-worth. Gender, as a socioeconomic determinant, exerts a significant impact on development.

Biological factors impact physical development, such as the protective effects of oestrogen on heart disease and osteoporosis. However, cultural norms, social expectations, role models, and other factors influence intellectual and social-emotional development in boys and girls. These influences shape adult roles in work and personal life. For example, men are often expected to work outside the home while women are expected to handle childcare, housekeeping, cooking, and daily tasks. This imbalance limits women's exposure to various skills they may encounter. Additionally, an individual's development is significantly influenced by their social class which can have both positive and negative consequences including educational opportunities. Higher-income families typically possess more resources for investing in their children's education including access to better schools.

The education level of parents has a significant influence on the development of children and young individuals. Well-educated parents encourage their kids to pursue higher education, like college and beyond. On the other hand, parents with a low socio-economic status (marked by unemployment, poverty, inadequate education, and challenging living conditions) have a negative impact on human growth and development.

Family, friends, and peer groups, as well as media personalities and teachers, are influential in the socialization process. They serve as role models who can impact an individual's development by teaching norms, values, beliefs, and cultural practices. Particularly, family provides love, care, and attention that contribute to positive growth.

Lifestyle factors encompass environmental elements that affect an individual's growth. These factors include diet, substance abuse, stress, and exercise. The quality and quantity of food

consumed along with the level of physical activity significantly influence physical growth. However, individuals from lower socioeconomic classes often have limited options for affordable food choices that are high in salts, sugars, and fats. This compromises their development and increases their vulnerability to health issues such as diabetes and obesity.

The Acheson report of 1998 referred to this phenomenon as "food poverty." The evolutionary psychology field has faced criticism regarding the adaptiveness of behavior in the ancestral environment (EEA). It is argued that a strictly genetic perspective cannot account for the extensive evidence demonstrating how experiences shape development. Critics assert that the evolutionary approach often provides explanations that fit hindsight observations, lacking substantial empirical support. The nature-nurture debate holds significant implications in practical and political contexts, as explored in the section on the development of measured intelligence. Gottesman's idea of a reaction range may offer the most plausible resolution to the nature versus nurture question.

According to Gottesman, genes establish a range of possible responses that a person will show to different life experiences, rather than determining behavior. This means that the genotype sets limits on the type of phenotype that will develop. In terms of intellectual performance, Shaffer (1996) provides an example of how varying degrees of environmental enrichment affect three children. One child has high genetic potential for intellectual development, another has average genetic endowment for intelligence, and the third child has below average potential for intellectual growth. The first child has the widest range of reactions, ranging from well below average in a deprived environment to far above average in an enriched environment.

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