Genetics vs. Environment

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Adamantium

I didn’t realize there was anything offensive going on until I looked back and saw others being protective, I’m not easily offended so don’t worry I’m fine. I think it’s good how everyone interacts as long as everyone is cool with each other.

I do understand your enthusiasm with microbiology and genetics, I have the same energy when it comes to the mind. My autism slows my mind down so I experience both mild and severe autism, the only teacher I have is experience. Imagine living 48 years with a condition only you understand, listening to experts over the years saying this and that with no results.

If anyone is going to work out what autism is and what’s happening to our minds with this fascinating and puzzling condition, it will be one of us, nobody else. In 100 years of trying, they don’t have a clue about autism as far as I’m concerned, the only experts in autism are those who live with the condition and can express their experiences to others, people like you, me and raziel.

It’s funny how people with aspergers have this drive to express what they know, knowledge.

(I’m so sorry i'm slow responding, I type with one finger, I’m a little slow)

I have blue eyes because of environmental factors.

"What do they mean when they say it's 'environmental'?"

Thats a good question.

When it comes to human behavior "environment" can mean two different things:(a) your upbringing, or (b) your physical environment (lead poisoning etc).

I dont think autism has much to do with the bad upbringing, or with childhood emotional traumas that cause Neurosis.

With some individuals it might be in part triggered by pre natal, or post natal environmental things like PHYSICAL traumas, or pollutants, or toxins.


But its mostly how you are already wired at birth. And thats mostly genetic, or epigenetic. Though it may not be traceable to a particular spots in the genome (though there is growing evidence that it is related to errors of commission , and of omission in the genome).

Last edited by naturalplastic on 18 Oct 2013, 4:10 am, edited 1 time in total.

What I meant on my earlier post is that the brain will ether have autism or not at the time of birth/conception. Autism can't be introduced or taken away afterwords. Now that's not to say that the environment can't alter the genes before conception which is of course unknown.

All good, then--I did not notice anyone being protective, but I can lose track of such details when enthralled by thoughts of adenine, thymine, cytosine, and guanine and the amazing things they get up to.

Adam, is it possible that the brain and mind are two different entities’ that work together as one?

For the brain enthusiast that believe genetics holds all the secrets behind life.

How do you explain why people can predict something way before the event has taken place, something the brain can’t do, store information on events that haven’t happened yet?

Actually environment has an impact on the genes.
Environmental factors have an influence epigenetic, what means genes can switched on and off, triggered by environmental factors.

You can read it up here for example: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/11/healt ... .html?_r=0

"And in recent years, it has also been shown that some of their differences can spring from unique changes in what are known as epigenetic factors, the chemical markers that attach to genes and affect how they are expressed — in some cases by slowing or shutting the genes off, and in others by increasing their output.

These epigenetic changes — which accumulate over a lifetime and can arise from things like diet and tobacco smoke — have been implicated in the development of cancer and behavioral traits like fearfulness and confidence, among other things."

[...]

" “When we started this study, people were expecting that only epigenetics would differ greatly between twins,” said Jan Dumanski, a professor of genetics at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and an author of the study. “But what we found are changes on the genetic level, the DNA sequence itself."

The specific changes that Dr. Dumanski and his colleagues identified are known as copy number variations, in which a gene exists in multiple copies, or a set of coding letters in DNA is missing. Not known, however, is whether these changes in identical twins occur at the embryonic level, as the twins age or both.”

[...]

"Certain copy variations have been shown in humans to confer protection against diseases like AIDS, while others are believed to contribute to autism, lupus and other conditions."

Also this study is interesting: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24055096

"On the Autistic Spectrum Disorder concordance rates of twins and non-twin siblings.

Using the Interactive Autism Network Research Database, the Autistic Spectrum Disorder concordance rates for twins and non-twin siblings were calculated. For males, females and both genders together, the concordance rate for dizygotic twins is approximately twice that of non-twin siblings. We also determined that the concordance rate for non-twin siblings decreases as the interval between pregnancies increases. Our results appear to indicate that the uterine environment may contribute to autism concordance rates."

Most people will probably not agree, but I totally believe Autism is almost entirely genetic/inborn rather than caused by environmental factors (vaccines, toxins ect.).

This isn't going to be the back story for everyone but my father has a nearly identical form of PDD-NOS as me.. and so do three of his children from a previous marriage. That's definitely not a coincidence, I very much doubt "environment" was involved in this.

I believe everyone with an ASD has a genetic predisposition, recessive or otherwise.

Sorry! I meant they don't know what genes cause autism. Not that the environment effect genes in general.

My personal opinion is that you can't devide environment and genes that easily as thought in the past, especially when many genes are involved.
Think about it a fetus with autistic genes in the mothers womb who would have turned out under normal circumstanses with some minor autistic traits bust mostly NT. Now you have the mothers stress, an infection or something else that has influences in the development of the fetus. I could imagine that those environmental factors could trigger that this person doesn't just develop some autistic traits, but fullblown autism instead.
In the second link I've posted they mention that:
"Our results appear to indicate that the uterine environment may contribute to autism concordance rates"

Also in the uterus there are already environmental factors playing an important role in our future development.

When two people argue and fight, a bad atmosphere develops. Atmosphere fuelled by anxiety and stress affects the minds of adults, why would it not affect the developing mind of a child?

If children soak up the environment around them like a sponge, as part of their developing process, to learn, surely they are affected by the stress a mother goes through during birth and labour. We presume babies don't know anything the moment they are born, I disagree, I believe like adults, they can sense the world around them.

What studies are there if any on how the atmosphere in a room affects people?

There is a medical doctor who argues the same, but about AD/HD, that you need the right genes and environment to develope AD/HD. The interesting fact about him is, he has AD/HD himself and also his children. His name is Gabor Maté.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VqiYJCX_lWg[/youtube]

This is why I started this post yesterday, so I could try and find out what others thought about the environment causing autism, so far most people that have answered are blaming the genes, or a combination of both, environment and the genes.

I believe the environment changes the genes during an infant’s developing process, when their mind absorbs everything in the environment it also takes on anxiety and stress, two of the main conditions imbedded within autism, throughout the spectrum.

I believe the mind senses everything.

Thanks for the video raziel, I’m watching it now.

The video sent chills down my spine, we share the same views about the atmosphere within the environment. I also believe children emulate the world around them, namely their greatest influence, the parents.

If I have autism, then there is a chance my child will pick up on the condition during their minds developing process, this is also a vulnerable time when infants are learning communication skills.

Stress is the culprit for sending the mind off balance, babies can sense it like adults.

It sounds like Americans depend a lot on drugs, how is this good for anyone other than the pharmaceutical companies that make $300 billion a year in profit. Many children take these drugs for mental conditions they live with, how can they develop properly with a bunch of chemicals affecting the natural biology of things, it’s sad.