Allelic Drift - Definition

Genetic Drift / Allelic Drift - Definition Definition: Genetic drift is defined as the changing of the number of available alleles in a population by chance events. Also called allelic drift, this phenomenon is usually due to a very small gene pool or population size. Unlike natural selection, it is a random, chance event that causes genetic drift and it depends solely on statistical chance instead of desirable traits being passed down to offspring. Unless the population size increases through more immigration, the number of available alleles gets smaller with every generation. Genetic drift happens by chance and can make an allele disappear completely from a gene pool, even if it was a desirable trait that should have been passed down to offspring. The random sampling style of genetic drift shrinks the gene pool and therefore alters the frequency the alleles are found in the population. Some alleles are completely lost within a generation due to genetic drift. This random change in the gene pool can affect the speed of evolution of a species. Instead of taking several generations to see a change in allele frequency, genetic drift can cause the same affect within a single generation or two. The smaller the population size, the greater the chance of genetic drift occurring. Larger populations tend to function through natural selection much more than genetic drift due to the sheer number of alleles that are available for natural selection to work on as compared to smaller populations. The Hardy-Weinberg equation cannot be used on small populations where genetic drift is the main contributor to diversity of alleles. Bottleneck Effect One specific cause of genetic drift is the bottleneck effect, or population bottleneck. The bottleneck effect occurs when a larger population shrinks significantly in size in a short amount of time. Usually, this decrease in population size is generally due to a random environmental affect like a natural disaster or spread of disease. This rapid loss of alleles makes the gene pool much smaller and some alleles are completely eliminated from the population. Out of necessity, populations that have experienced population bottleneck increase the instances of inbreeding to build the numbers back up to an acceptable level. However, inbreeding does not increase diversity or numbers of possible alleles and instead just increases the numbers of the same types of alleles. Inbreeding can also increase the chances of random mutations within DNA. While this may increase the number of alleles available to be passed down to offspring, many times these mutations express undesirable traits such as disease or reduced mental capacity. Founders Effect Another cause of genetic drift is called founders effect. The root cause of founders effect is also due to an unusually small population. However, instead of a chance environmental effect reducing the numbers of available breeding individuals, the founders effect is seen in populations who have chosen to stay small and do not allow breeding outside of that population. Often, these populations are specific religious sects or offshoots of a particular religion. The mate choice is significantly reduced and is mandated to be someone within the same population. Without immigration or gene flow, the number of alleles is limited to only that population and often the undesirable traits become the most frequently passed down alleles. Â   Examples: An example of founders effect happened in a certain population of Amish people in Pennsylvania. Since two of the founding members were carriers for Ellis van Creveld Syndrome, the disease was seen much more often in that colony of Amish people than the general population of the United States. After several generations of isolation and inbreeding within the Amish colony, the majority of the population became either carriers or suffered from Ellis van Creveld Syndrome.

Msc IT Project Proposal - Title to be decided Thesis

Msc IT Project Proposal - Title to be decided - Thesis Example Current paper focuses on the methods used by a firm that operates in a specific industry, this of the martial arts, in order to improve its communication with its customers and therefore increase its performance. The firm under examination is a Judo club which is not well established in the market; it has entered the market rather recently – one year ago – and it seeks to increase its performance by improving its communication with its customers. It can be assumed therefore that the resources available for the achievement of the above targets will be limited. The chances for the achievement of the relevant plan will be explored and analyzed using a series of appropriately customized research methods. As already noticed above, the firm’s resources that are available for the realization of the relevant project – development of a communication website – are limited. The short presence of the firm in the market could be regarded as the main reason for the lack of necessary resources; however, there are firms that are developed quite quickly even if they operate for a short period within a particular market – this is the case of firms that use all resources available – referring not to the internal resources but also to the external ones, e.g. the funding options available in a specific market. It seems that the specific firm didn’t manage to ‘gain’ the support of the market until now (probably because no appropriate research was made to this direction). For this reason, it is necessary that all available resources of the firm will be employed in the particular effort trying to ensure the increase of its competitiveness within th e particular industry. Currently, the systems available for the completion of the specific project – communication website – are rather limited. The firm’s operation is based on a simple IT network consisting from 3 desktops that communicate through an

The Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous Assignment

The Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous - Assignment Example As I entered the place, I found people sitting and standing randomly. I grabbed a chair near the window and saw people; some saying hello, some stopping, and some just keeping to themselves. The meeting commenced at the chairperson read the Preamble, and led the prayer. Different members read the brief literature of AA afterward. In this Step Meeting of 10 minutes, I sat and listened to the â€Å"steps†. My curiosity about the AA thing was increasing. The Chairperson declared the step that would be discussed. I was so surprised to see that the attendants of the meeting were unashamed apparently that I cannot really recall what step that was. After reading the step chapter from Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, the attendants were asked if they had any previous experience related to the step and if any of them would take that as an opportunity to share it with others.   The most interesting part of the whole meeting was to watch others narrate their personal experiences and struggles with alcohol and drawing their relation with the step under discussion. People started talking during the meeting. They started off by telling their name and status as alcoholics to each other. One after another, every attendant stood up, said his name, narrated his story, received audience’s applauds and settled down. â€Å"In the simplest form, the AA program operates when a recovered alcoholic passes along the story of his or her own problem drinking, describes the sobriety he or she has found in AA and invites the newcomer to join the informal Fellowship† (alcoholics-anonymous.org.uk, 2014).   Of all the different sorts of manifestations, I found that the most prominent causes of alcohol dependency were sociological and psychological.

Commercial Fishing in the Gulf of Mexico Research Paper

Commercial Fishing in the Gulf of Mexico - Research Paper Example The mainland shore of the Gulf is shared by the United States and Mexico and it covers more than 4000 miles from Cabo Catoche in the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico to Florida Keys the US (GMP, 2011). According to GMA (2008, p5), the Gulf of Mexico covers an estimated area of about 600,000 square miles. Due to its unique location, the Gulf is rich in diverse natural resources that play a critical role in defining the economic, environmental, political and social dimensions in the region. According to GMA(2008, p2), the gulf offers aquatic resources that include recreation, navigation, commercial fishing, oil and natural gas in addition to rich habitats for diverse marine life. This paper investigates the problems associated with commercial fishing in the Gulf of Mexico and their impacts on the American culture. According to GMA(2008, p7), the five US states bordering the Gulf of Mexico have a total gross domestic product of over $2.2 trillion and much of the economic activities depend on the natural resources from the gulf. The economic contribution of the Gulf of Mexico to the United States is significant. ... These ports provide the country with a good infrastructural network of enhancing international trade. The population growth in the gulf region has been increasing, recording 103% growth from 1970 to 2008 (GMA, 2008, p 11). The region is highly attractive to job seekers and retirees because of the availability of many opportunities and favorable climatic conditions. By 2015, Polunin (2008, p 37), predicts population increase of 10 % in the gulf region compared with an average of 7% in total population of the United States. The rapid population growth in the region has resulted to a vibrant construction industry to cater for the housing needs. According to GMA (2008, p 11), 30 percent of the leading counties in building residential houses are located in the gulf coast region. The Gulf of Mexico is prone to natural disasters such as hurricanes but residential developments are on the increase. In addition to residential buildings, construction of seasonal homes is also gaining prominence in the gulf region. This is attributed to the scenic attractions that draw people from all over the country for vacations (GMP, 2011). The Gulf of Mexico is one of the largest water bodies in the world and it consists of a wide marine diversity ranging from shrimps to unexploited corals in the deep horizons of the water. Due to the wide ecological diversity of the region, many environmental activities have been established in the Gulf of Mexico. They include national parks, wildlife preservation regions and wetlands. According to GMA (2008, p13), half of all the wetlands in United States are located in the coastal areas in the gulf. The wetlands provide suitable habitats for a wide variety of biological resources including sea turtles, fisheries, nesting waterfowl in

Chemicals in Disinfectants and Sterilants

Chemicals in Disinfectants and Sterilants Discuss the uses and modes of action of chemicals used as disinfectants and sterilants Disinfectants and sterilants have been available in a variety of forms for a great number of years. The pioneering work of Joseph Lister and Ignaz Semmelweis effectively opened the door to the range of chemicals that we have available today. Phenols (carbolic acid derivatives), mercuric chloride, chlorides, hypochlorites and iodine were the first major groups to be utilised. The quaternary ammonium compounds rose to prominence in the 1930s (Russell, A. D. 2002 [I]). The first detailed studies on the subject of mode of action were published by Cooper, who described the action of phenols as denaturing bacterial proteins as their main mode of operation (Cooper E A 1912) Knaysi expanded this work further by suggesting that the order of death amongst cells was determined by some form of resistance (Knaysi G 1930) and that this might be linked to the protein structure of the cell wall (Knaysi G et al. 1930). Further work on phenol suggested that resistance of E.Coli was the same at virtually any concentration of phenol (Jordan, R. C et al. 1944) and this lead to the development of the concept of specific enzyme inhibition. (Roberts, M. H et al. 1946) The term biocide is becoming more commonly used to describe the generic group. Russell (A D 2002 [II]) makes the comment that, until recently, two views permeated the field. One was that as long as they were effective, there seemed little merit in determining how they arrived at their inhibitory or lethal effects and secondly, that they were believed to act as protoplasmic poisons and, as such did not merit much attention. We will present evidence to dispute both of these views. Specific work on the mode of action of the biocides has been sporadic until comparatively recently. Gram-positive and -negative bacteria appear to have received the lion’s share of the research with less on the mycobacterium, less still on fungal and viral agents (Maillard, J.-Y et al. 1997), and few quality papers on the protozoa. (Turner, N. A et al. 1999). We know even less still on the ability of biocides to inactivate prions. (Taylor, D. M 1997). Because of the wide range of potential biocidal (and biostatic) agents, it is not possible to even begin to tackle the question of mode of action in this essay on any but the most general terms There are a number of current research issues such as the question of why it is that MIC’s of some cationic biocides such as chlorhexidine is similar for both mycobacterium and staphylococci yet they appear to possess low mycobacterium potency but are rapidly lethal to the staphylococci (Russell A D 1996) Current considered opinion is that the majority (if not all) cells are not killed by a disactivation of a single target enzyme by the biocide. (Hugo, W. B. 1999) Specific examples would be that enoyl reductase, (an enzyme involved in fatty acid synthesis) is totally inhibited by triclosan it is a combination of other intracellular disruptions that prove to be lethal to the cell. (Suller, M. T. E et al. 2000) A number of researchers have commented on the apparent similarities between the disinfectants and sterilants group and the antibiotic group in terms of their effect on bacteria. To give specific examples, filament formation in Gm-ve. Bacteria is induced by both antibiotics (eg. ß-lactams andfluoroquinolones) and biocides (eg.phenoxyethanol and chloroacetamide) (Ng, E et al. 2002). Equally we have mentioned the action of triclosan on enoyl reductase, but this enzyme is also inhibited by isoniazid. (McMurry, L. M et al. 1999). A third category of similarity would be that the cell autolysis observed with both the phenols and some mercuric compounds is apparently the same as the processes observed with exposure to penicillin. (Hugo, W. B. 1999). Other research groups (McKellar, R. C et al. 1996) have noted that exposure to some biocides can render a pathogen more susceptible to the action of antibiotics. It was postulated (although not proved) that this effect may be due to a structural change resulting in differing permeability in the cell wall of the microbe. (Morris, A et al. 1991) It is not intended to imply that because these mechanisms appear similar that they are actually the biochemically or physiologically the same. Further research is needed to clarify these points We have made comment on the apparent ability of some biocides to interfere with the integrity of the cell wall. In the case of the bacteria and fungi this may be a useful attribute to exploit, but it is a different matter in dealing with viral (and phage) vectors. The problem being that if the viral envelope which is usually derived from the host cell is damaged, then this can result in the liberation of intact viral nucleic acid which, in itself, may be infective. (McClure, A. R et al. 1992) If we consider one mechanism in some detail by way of an example, we could consider the action of chlorhexidine. This has been shown to produce a very rapid lethal effect ( about 20 seconds) in both E.Coli and Staph. Aureus. (Denyer, S. P. 1995). It has been shown to produce damage to the outer cell membrane, but this action does not directly cause cell death. (El-Moug, T et al. 1985) Chlorhexidine then crosses the damaged membrane by passive diffusion and causes leakage of the intracellular components. The cause of cell death is the inactivation of the intracellular constituents by protein denaturation of their controlling enzyme systems. This causes a further congealing of the cytoplasm and this reduces cellular leakage. This is the so-called biphasic mechanism of action of chlorhexidine. (Longworth, A. R. 1971). There was a suggestion that chlorhexidine bound and inactivated the membrane-bound ATPase. It thereby disrupts the membrane potential and this is thought to be the prime mechanism of cell death .(Barett-Bee, K et al. 1994) In conclusion, we have considered some of the mechanisms that are thought to be active in the bioactivity of disinfectants and sterilants. In doing so we should also consider the question of resistance. Many pathogens have efflux systems which can combat or eliminate biocides from their environment. These can work at comparatively low concentrations of the biocide. But it opens up the possibility of the development of biocide resistance in those cells which survive the initial exposure (possibly due to incomplete treatment or peripheral exposure to low concentrations of agent). This mechanism selectively favours the emergence of biocide-resistant pathogens. (Azachi, M et al. 1996) This issue has prompted calls for the rotation of disinfectants and sterilants in hospitals and elsewhere. (Benarde, M. A et al. 1967). The use of one disinfectant should ideally be replaced with another which has a completely dissimilar mode of action. This is one argument for the study of the mode of action of both disinfectants and sterilants. Other arguments for studying the mechanisms of action of the biocides are many, not least is the fact that the knowledge of the mechanism of how a particular biocide can exert its effect can lead to the selective development of new targeted compounds with greater efficiency. An example of this process is the development of ortho-phthalaldehyde (OPA), which was specifically developed and adapted from â€Å"older† compounds. (Behr, H et al. 1994) References Azachi, M., Y. Henis, R. Shapira, and A. Oren. 1996.  The role of the outer membrane in formaldehyde tolerance in Escherichia coli VU3695 and Halomonas sp. MAC.  Microbiology 142:1249-1254 Barett-Bee, K., L. Newboult, and S. Edwards. 1994.  The membrane destabilizing action of the antibacterial agent chlorhexidine. FEMS Microbiol. Lett. 119:249-254 Behr, H., M. E. Reverdy, C. Mabilat, J. Freney, and J. Fleurette. 1994.  Relation entre le niveau des concentrations minimales inhibitrices de cinq antiseptiques et la prà ©sence du gà ¨ne qacA chez Staphylococcus aureus.  Pathol. Biol. 42:438-444 Benarde, M. A., W. B. Snow, V. P. Olivieri, and B. Davidson. 1967.  Kinetics and mechanism of bacterial disinfection by chlorine dioxide.  Appl. Microbiol. 15:257-265 Cooper, E. A. (1912).  On the relationship of phenol and m-cresol to proteins: a contribution to our knowledge of the mechanism of disinfection.  Biochemical Journal 6, 362–87. Denyer, S. P. 1995.  Mechanisms of action of antibacterial biocides.  Int. Biodeterior. Biodegrad. 36:227-245. El-Moug, T., D. T. Rogers, J. R. Furr, B. M. A. El-Falaha, and A. D. Russell. 1985.  Antiseptic-induced changes in the cell surface of a chlorhexidine-sensitive and a chlorhexidine-resistant strain of Providencia stuartii.  J. Antimicrob. Chemother. 16:685-689 Hugo, W. B. (1999).  Disinfection mechanisms. In Principles and Practice of Disinfection, Preservation and Sterilization, 3rd edn, (Russell, A. D., Hugo, W. B. Ayliffe, G. A. J., Eds), pp. 258–83.  Blackwell Science, Oxford Jordan, R. C. Jacobs, S. E. (1944).  Studies on the dynamics of disinfection. I. New data on the reaction between phenol and Bact. coli using an improved technique, together with an analysis of the distribution of resistance amongst the cells of the bacterial population studied.  Journal of Hygiene (Cambridge) 43, 275–89. Knaysi, G. (1930).  Disinfection. I. The development of our knowledge of disinfection.  Journal of Infectious Diseases 47, 293–302. Knaysi, G. Morris, G. (1930).  The manner of death of certain bacteria and yeast when subjected to mild chemical and physical agents.  Journal of Infectious Diseases 47, 303–17. Longworth, A. R. 1971.  Chlorhexidine, p. 95-106. In W. B. Hugo (ed.), Inhibition and destruction of the microbial cell.  Academic Press, Ltd., London, England. Maillard, J.-Y. Russell, A. D. (1997).  Viricidal activity and mechanisms of action of biocides.  Science Progress 80, 287–315 McClure, A. R., and J. Gordon. 1992.  In vitro evaluation of povidone-iodine and chlorhexidine against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.  J. Hosp. Infect. 21:291-299 McKellar, R. C., McKenzie, C. N. Kushner, D. J. (1996).  Correlation of resistance to proflavine and penicillin in Escherichia coli. Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy 10, 765–7   McMurry, L. M., McDermott, P. F. Levy, S. B. (1999).Genetic evidence that InhA of Mycobacterium smegmatis is a target for triclosan. Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy 43, 711–3 Morris, A. Russell, A. D. (1991).  The mode of action of novobiocin. In Progress in Medicinal Chemistry, (Ellis, G. P. West, G. B., Eds), Vol. 41, pp. 39–59.  Butterworths, London.   Ng, E. G.-L., Jones, S., Leong, S. H. Russell, A. D. (2002).  Biocides and antibiotics with apparently similar actions on bacteria: is there the potential for cross-resistance?  Journal of Hospital Infection 2002 Vol 3 pgs 239-242 Roberts, M. H. Rahn, O. (1946).  The amount of enzyme inactivation at bacteriostatic and bactericidal concentrations of disinfectants.  Journal of Bacteriology 42, 639–44. Russell, A. D. (1996).  Activity of biocides against mycobacteria.  Journal of Applied Bacteriology, Symp. Suppl. 81, 87S–101S. Russell, A. D. 2002 (I)  Introduction of biocides into clinical practice and the impact on antibiotic resistant bacteria.  Journal of Applied Microbiology, Symp. Suppl. 2002 Russell A D 2002 (II)  Mechanisms of antimicrobial action of antiseptics and disinfectants: an increasingly important area of investigation  Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy (2002) 49, 597-599 Suller, M. T. E. Russell, A. D. (2000).  Triclosan and antibiotic resistance in Staphylococcus aureus.  Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy 46, 11–8 Taylor, D. M 1997.  Inactivation of unconventional agents of the transmissible degenerative encephalopathies. In A. D. Russell, W. B. Hugo, and G. A. J. Ayliffe (ed.), Principles and practice of disinfection, preservation and sterilization, 3rd ed., in press.  Blackwell Science, Oxford, England. Turner, N. A., Russell, A. D., Furr, J. R. Lloyd, D. (1999).  Editorial: Acanthamoeba spp., antimicrobial agents and contact lenses.  Science Progress 82, 1–8

Pain :: essays research papers

Pain, an acute mental or emotional discomfort, is experienced by everyone many times during the course of his or her lives. This discomfort to a person may be the result of slipping on a patch of ice on the sidewalk, or may be the result of working hard on ones homework. Whatever the cause, precautions can be taken to avoid pain, like wearing a helmet while bicycling, but painful situations pop up all the time. Pain during the coarse of ones life is inevitable. Misery, mental suffering or extreme bodily suffering or discomfort: extreme unhappiness, may not be present for everyone, and is more easily avoided than pain. Misery usually occurs when many things go wrong, or if one major thing in someone’s life goes wrong. These things are meaningful and the misery involved is optional. An example of this could be someone who goes to school, but doesn’t work, fails, and consequently ends up without a job, and feels miserable. This situation could have been avoided, if the person had worked hard at school. This demonstrates the fact that misery can be due to major losses or failures. Therefore even though insignificant causes of pain are inevitable, the things that mean the most can be maintained, and misery is optional. Pain can in some ways be prevented, with the help of preventative measures like wearing a seat belt in a car, a wearing a helmet and pads before going out biking. Even though these measures are applied, there are some things that cannot be controlled, and luck also plays a factor in a person encountering pain. First of all, every time a person goes outside there is a chance that an accident will occur. If someone looses control of their car on black ice, hits a tree and gets injured it really is not their fault. One could say that this could be avoided by not driving in winter, but this isn’t possible. People are active, and as long as they are active there is always an element of risk involved. If one makes dinner they may get burned, but food is needed for the person’s survival. People take risks all the time and pain is somewhat inevitable at different degrees. Some people have a high tolerance for pain and seem to take more risks. Others are more cautious, but the element of pain is always a factor. Generally people are more susceptible to smaller sources of pain, because they take small risks, however people are more careful when confronted with serious pain, like the fact that someone may wear a

Abc Electronic Case Study

ABC Electronics Ltd. – A Wrong Analysis of Consumer Behavior ABC Electronics Ltd. was a company established in 1983 by Mr. Manoj Kumar and over the years had emerged as one of the leaders in the growing segment of the electronics and home appliances market in India. Currently it has a market share of 30% of the home appliances market. Its product strategy has been to offer a wide range, right from mono stereo, two in ones and sophisticated music systems to televisions, refrigerators, washing machines, ovens and microwave ovens.ABC’s marketing strategy also included offering the above products so as to match the needs and budget of the middle and upper middle classes. In 1991, Prasad, son of Mr. Manoj Kumar, took over as the Managing Director of the company. Seeing the intense competition in the post liberalization scenario, Prasad was keen to follow the principle that once you have decided on your target customer, you follow him/her relentlessly with attractive offering s. In 1994, he developed a well focused promotion and distribution strategy. The promotion strategy involved an advertising budget of Rs. 0 crores, a special training program for the sales force and offering freebies and various other sales promotion techniques. In terms of distribution, Prasad selected exclusive showrooms and franchisees to display their wide range of products. The location of the exclusive retail outlets was also selected so as to match the perceptions of the consumers as an â€Å"exclusive showroom† for them. However, even after two years of implementing the new promotion and distribution strategy, the sales of ABC Electronics did not pick up to the extent that the company thought it would.Prasad then directed the marketing manager to conduct a study of other retail outlets to know the trend. The results revealed that there was a change in consumers’ perceptions regarding purchasing consumer durables. There seemed to be a preference for purchasing g oods from multi brand, rather than from single brand outlets. Questions 1. Where do you think Prasad went wrong in his analysis of consumer behavior? 2. Discuss the change in the role of the consumer today, as compared to the consumer five years ago.M/s. Tufleather Ltd. – â€Å" Tufcom Shoes† For the last fifty years, M/s. Tufleather has been in the business of manufacturing and selling leather to companies which make leather shoes and other related products. In the post liberalization period, i. e. , from 1991 onwards, the company was contemplating entering the shoe manufacturing industry, primarily because the Government was giving substantial support to this industry, particularly to firms that were export oriented.With the intention of selling shoes, the company set up its own factory with R & D facilities in Hosur, Tamil Nadu. In 1993, the company’s R & D department developed a material â€Å"Tufcom†, which it claimed had properties of shoe material permeability, strength, flexibility and durability. The company also set up a sub unit to produce shoes with this new material and conducted test marketing to gauge the initial response. The pilot study indicated positive consumer response.Based on the test marketing results, the company set up a large plant with a huge investment and entered into tie ups with reputed shoe manufacturers to buy the new material and make attractive shoe models. They also planned to have an in-house trained team of sales people who would visit the shoe retail outlets and train their sales persons on how to sell shoes. Tufleather also helped the shoe manufacturing companies by providing point of purchase and advertising materials for a nationwide advertising campaign.The company developed a premium pricing strategy for the Tufcom material, based on the consumer perceptual process – the belief that high price is an indicator of high quality. They felt that Tufcom offered quality that was superior to leather in terms of durability and ease of care. After adopting a skimming pricing strategy, the company would later consider penetrating the lower priced shoe market segment. While the first year after the launch of Tufcom shoes showed positive results, sales began to fall drastically after that.Feedback from their sales team indicated that high price buyers did not get motivated by the factors emphasized by Tufleather, namely durability and ease of care. In addition, some complaints were received from buyers of Tufcom shoes that they found the shoes unusually warm. Questions 1. Where do you think the company went wrong in analyzing consumer shoe buying behavior? 2. Do you think the company should identify a new buyer market, namely the lower priced shoe market segment?

Factors Affecting Essay

In this assignment is an explanation of genetic, biological, environmental and socio-economic and lifestyle that effect the development of an individual. Also using the case study of Emily there is explanation on 2 predictable and 2 unpredictable life events that could be affecting her now and the in the future. I will then be discussing the 2 sides to the nature –nurture debate, and then I will be evaluating how nature and nurture have affected the development of Albert and Alan as children and as adults. INTRODUCTION: Growth and development are different from one another, growth means increase in size or a mass of tissue and development involves the changes in some ability as well as some measured quantity of height, weight. Some of the emotional, social and intellectual changes in a lifespan could be described in terms of development. Maturation is different from growth and development; it is used when development is assumed to be genetically programmed sequences of change. Some of the facts that affect growth and development of a child are Children inherit some characteristic from parents i.e. parents who have intelligence are more likely to have with higher level intelligence. Daughters often reach menarche at roughly the same age as mother and will have a similar length of the menstrual cycle as their mother. Boys are generally longer and heavier than girls when born, Genetic disorders can affect both child growth and development. LIFE FACTORS THAT AFFECT DEVELOPMENT Development and growth are mainly dependent on many factors, which some will affect children and individuals more than others. Some of the factors can have a positive or negative impact on development and growth of individuals  in society. The factors that affect the development of an individual in society: BIOLOGICAL: foetal alcohol syndrome infections during pregnancy GENETIC: Down syndrome, cystic fibrosis, rheumatic disease, brittle bone disease. SOCIO-ECONOMIC: income, employment and education ENVIRONMENT: pollution family dysfunction culture LIFESTYLE: nutrition and dietary choices, misuse of substances. All of which affect an individual’s physical, intellectual, emotional and social aspects of development and growth. GENETIC FACTORS The human body has a nucleus with 23 pairs of chromosomes inside it; one chromosome comes from the mother and another from the father. Each chromosome carriers units of inheritance known has genes it these genes that create the instructions for making a new individual. Genetic diseases are a large proportion of the total diseases that individuals have to burden, around 50% of deafness is due to genetics and around 40-50% of miscarriages are connected to genetic factors. RHEUMATIC DISEASE Individuals are more at risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis if they have relatives with the disease, but in some cases individuals can develop the condition without any one in the family having the condition. Rheumatic disease is a disorder that affects the inflammation of the joints and ligaments, bones and the muscles. Rheumatoid arthritis is associated with rheumatic disease the cause is not fully understood but the environment and genetic influences play a major part in the condition. It is an extremely painful condition for individuals who suffer with it; it causes swelling, damage to the cartilages and bones, joints. It mainly affects the smaller bones individuals’ feet, hands and wrists, the autoimmune process that contributes to the distress on the joints can also affect the eyes, lungs and skin, heart and blood vessels plus some other organs. It can affect the physical development of an individual who suffers with the disease, it can limit their day to day physica l movement due to the amount of pain they will experience; individuals who have restricted activities are more likely to suffer with depression as well. An adult could struggle to hold a job down  due to the time there would have to miss work. Rheumatoid arthritis can affect a child’s intellectual development due to the amount of time they will be absent from school due to the pain or hospital appointments. It will limit the time that they can use computers or game consoles due to the stiffness in their hands and wrists and have very poor academic attendance due to a flare up of the condition. Emotional development of an individual with the condition may be affected they may feel different from other individuals and children could be made to feel excluded because of the condition. Some could become depressed as they believe the disease is taking over their life completely and feel that they cannot cope anymore. Rheumatoid arthritis could also affect individuals social life as a flare up could cause them to miss out on certain social events with friends or work colleagues and the fact that they could have being admitted to hospital. At the moment there is no cure for condition but there is a number of treatments that could slow the condition down and keep joint damage to minimum, the earlier the treatment is started the more effective it could be for the individual. The cause of rheumatoid arthritis is not completely understood but it is believed that genetic and the environmental issues influence the condition. CYSTIC FIBROSIS Cystic fibrosis is generally caused by genetic disorder, it is caused by a defective gene it is thought that about 4% of the population carry this gene in the UK alone. Has the gene is recessive children born to parents who carry the gene will not develop cystic fibrosis unless both parents are carriers. If both parents have the defective gene than there is a chance that they child will be born with the condition. Cystic fibrosis is a disorder that results in the production of a defective protein that can cause a buildup of sticky mucus forming in the lungs and digestive system of individuals. Other symptoms are a troublesome cough, repeated chest infections and poor weight gain these are not unique to individuals who suffer with cystic fibrosis. It is a complex disease that affects many different organs in the body. It’s quite common for individuals to experience some issues with lung function although not every sufferer will be affected. With physiotherapy and some medication can help to control lung infections and prevent the buildup of mucus that damages the lungs. Besides  affecting the lungs it can affect the pancreas due to the buildup of thick sticky mucus that blocks the ducts, which can reduce the amount of insulin that is produced and stopping the digestive enzymes getting to the intestines to aid digestion. This can lead to poor malnutrition, poor growth and some physical weakness and delayed puberty. Babies born with cystic fibrosis develop a bowel obstruction called meconium ileus that is present at birth or within the first few days, it’s a thick black material present in the bowel and it’s so thick that it blocks the bowel. Some individuals are prone to develop bone disease due to lack of nutrition, it can cause fertility problems but does not cause sexual impotency. Men with cystic fibrosis the tubes that carry the sperm are sometimes blocked causing infertility, cystic fibrosis in women can affect fertility due to being underweight and having irregular menstrual cycles and a thicker vaginal mucus. It can cause some blockage of the small ducts in the liver which can lead to liver disease; although this only affects 8% of individuals it is a serious health risk that could require a liver transplant. Social development of a child with cystic fibrosis they will find it hard to interact with other children due to a long period of absence from school, and in any other setting. The emotional development of a child with the condition is that they might become emotional distressed, suffer with mild depression and feel embarrassed because of the effects. Physical development of a child with cystic fibrosis is they are capable of taking part in physical activity such as play and some regular exercise, but with a persistent cough and difficulty in breathing they could become tired quickly need to rest more. Some children’s current health status might not allow them to take part in any activities, when they do will need to take frequent breaks to cough and have a drink. The intellectual development of a child with cystic fibrosis is due to a long absence from school extra help will be needed for them to catch up and some children might have special educational needs, but most of them are academically able to succeed like their peers. All sufferers with the condition should receive appropriate health care to enable them to live longer and healthier lives. BIOLOGICAL FACTORS Biological influences before birth have a dramatic influence on the development of a child, factors that could affect the development are if the  mother smokes, takes drugs or drinks a large amount of alcohol. One factor is if the mother drinks heavily during her pregnancy this will have a negative effect on the development of the baby and could cause foetal alcohol syndrome. FOETAL ALCOHOL SYNDROME Foetal alcohol syndrome is more severe of the birth defects that are known as foetal alcohol spectrum disorders. Foetal alcohol effects is known as alcohol related birth defects which is the milder end of the condition, some of the conditions that are related is alcohol related neuro- alcohol during pregnancy. Foetal alcohol syndrome disorder is caused through pregnant women drinking alcohol during their pregnancy. Alcohol can affect the development of the fetus at any stage during the pregnancy including the earliest stages of pregnancy; the effects of alcohol during pregnancy may include physical deformity, some behavioral issues, damage to the central nervous system. According to National Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (2001-2004), â€Å"FASD is the leading known preventable cause of mental retardation and birth defects, and a leading known cause of learning disabilities.† http://www.nofas-uk.org/. Accessed 23/6/14. Drinking during pregnancy is damaging for the unborn child and cause major social, emotional effects for the child’s life which cannot be out grown or treated. Alcohol during pregnancy can cause brain damage which can lead to a range of developmental, cognitive issues that will appear at any time during childhood. Individuals who have FASD quite often of issues with coordination, emotional control, school work and socialisation and struggle to hold a job. Often make the wrong decisions, trust the wrong people and difficulty understanding any consequences of their own actions. Babies born with FAS are normally a low birth weight are unable to suck effectively, some will be over sensitive to light any noise or touch will become irritable easily and are very slow to develop through the different stages of infancy. They are very vulnerable to other infections and have poor sleeping cycles or waking cycles some will be too stiff or floppy when being held. The physical features of babies born with FAS are their faces will be flattened; have a small upturned nose may have flattened philtrum and some have a thin upper lip. The physical development of a child with FAS are, will have problems with weight and height will tend to smaller than children  of an similarly age, will have a weak immune system leading them to prone to catch infections easily. Depending on the damage there could have a heart defect which cause them to take part in any kind of physical activity. Intellectual development of a child with FAS is there could have lower IQ or in some cases it could be higher than normal. Some children will have a degree of language disability or delayed language development will often have problems with communicating whether their development is delayed. Have Issues Memory which can lead to their educational achievements being extremely limited and are more likely to be in trouble during their education. Will develop poor relationships during their childhood and adulthood, will constantly be in trouble with the law due to mixing with wrong crowd. Could have immature behaviour due to the lack of social skills and because of the lack of control over their behaviour can affect any kind of social connect. All of which will affect their social development. Children can be very affectionate when around others but at more or less at the time be very hyperactive which can cause problems for teachers or other individuals in any situation. Due to them being hyperactivity their will need any kind of special attention from individuals during their lifespan. TOXOPLASMOSIS Toxoplasmosis is infection that is caused by a common parasite known as Toxoplasma gondii, which is found in different warm blooded animals such as sheep, dogs and humans which can be infected with tiny single cell of parasite. The parasite can only be passed on through the environment or food chain or if pregnant women infect her unborn child. It is very rarely that it is passed from human to human through any organ transplantation. In some cases toxoplasmosis doesn’t show any systems and an individual could be unaware that they are infected. In most healthy individuals the immune system is normally strong enough to prevent the parasite to cause serious illness. Individuals who have being affected with toxoplasmosis are most likely to be immune to further infections in their lifespan. So if a woman who has being previously infected becomes pregnant there should be no risk to the baby, a blood test would be needed to find out to see is she immune. Toxoplasmosis can cause lymph nodes to swell particularly in the throat and armpits, which can be like flu systems such as high temperature, muscles  aching, extreme tiredness and sore throat. During pregnancy the risk of developing toxoplasmosis is very low, â€Å"a 2008 study showed that in non-immune women (those who haven’t had the infection before), about 5 in 1,000 may get a toxoplasmosis infection.† http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Toxoplasmosis.(accessed 24/6/14). If a women does develop toxoplasmosis when she is pregnant or shortly after conceiving the risk is that she will pass it on to the baby, however if it is passed from mother to baby it is known as congenital toxoplasmosis. The risk of passing it on is greater in the third trimester with 70% of babies becoming infected, but in the early stages of pregnancy only about 15% of babies will become infected. Although the woman might not experience any systems herself, an infection that develops during the early stages can increase the likely hood of miscarriage during the first 23 weeks, it can also cause a stillbirth later on in the pregnancy. Babies born with congenital toxoplasmosis the systems vary depending when the mother became infected some systems are more severe if she was infected around time she became infected or during the first or second trimester. The baby could have hydrocephalus water on the brain, brain damage, epilepsy which is a condition that affects the brain and causes repeated seizures, some deafness growth problems and eye infections or reduced vision. They could also have yellowing of the skin known as jaundice and the white of the eyes, an enlarged liver or spleen and cerebral palsy that affects the brain or nervous system condition that affects the movement or co-ordination of a child. In some cases if the mother is infected during the last trimester and the infection is passed on the baby may not have any symptoms at birth, but complications could develop later on in life with the child developing reduced vision or some hearing loss even some learning difficulties. â€Å"New research is looking at other ways of diagnosing toxoplasmosis – for example, by identifying the DNA of the T. gondii parasite in samples of cerebrospinal fluid (the fluid that surrounds your brain and spinal cord). It’s hoped that this may be a quicker and more reliable method of diagnosis, and will help confirm whether the damage to the brain has been caused by toxoplasmosis rather than by another condition.† http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Toxoplasmosis/ (accessed 24/6/14). SOCIO-ECONOMIC FACTORS Socio-economic factors that influence the development and growth of individuals in society, are income and expenditure the economic resources that a family has can make a major difference to the quality of life an individual has. INCOME Income can affect the development and growth of individual in society and can have a major difference in their quality of life. Income is the amount of money that the household receives weekly or monthly, it enables them to pay for their accommodation, buy food and clothes for the family. The main sources of income mainly come from wages for employment, benefits paid by the government or money that is raised from a sale of a property. Individuals who receive a low income may experience poverty and are the ones most likely to suffer with ill health and have opportunities restricted. A lack of income could mean to individuals that there will have a lack of resources and not being able to live in acceptable way in society. For some individuals it means that they are living absolute poverty. Many will find it hard to take part in the community which could lead to social exclusion. Most children that are born to families who experience some kind poverty may find it hard to escape and become trapped in the same situation has they develop into adulthood. A child living in a low income home will have low self-confidence and low self-esteem some will experience a poor diet due to the lack of funds to buy nutritional food. Will live in poor housing conditions and are more likely to sufferer with related health issues, caused through damp or mould. Will have parents who are extremely stressed over money issues have little chance of having the latest hi tech phones, computers games and expensive clothes. Will have limited access to books to help them with school work and because of the low income might not be able to do homework due to the family home being overcrowded so no place for them to study. http://www.poverty.org.uk/02/index.shtml?2 The graph shows the amount of individuals across the country who are living in low income households. EDUCATION Education factors that influence the development and growth of individuals in  society, is that individuals with little qualifications are more likely to be unemployed or in low paid work than others at the same age who have qualifications. Families have a major impact on children’s learning and educational development, a child’s academic progress and level of engagement at school could be affected by certain environments, the parents attitude towards education and how much involvement the parent has with child’s education i.e. helping with school work, volunteering in school and involvement in any school activities. The families’ ability to provide the appropriate learning environment at home could be limited due to lack of financial situation, the parent having attained low grades or mental health issues. Negative impact on education is that individuals will be put under pressure to leave school and earn money to ease the situation within the family. Schools in the neighbourhood could be disadvantaged from other schools they might lack valuable resources in the learning environment and have restricted space for children to play and the school could have a limited access to new technology and updated information. Peer groups can influence individuals during their education, attitudes and beliefs could be copied from who we mix with or at least from people we believe are the same as ourselves. Besides the family peer groups are seen as second source of social learning. Attitudes and values are influenced by the experiences people have had and the culture that they are exposed to will influence their educational experience. ENVIRONMENT FACTORS Environment factors that influence the development and growth of individuals in society, the environment that where individuals are brought up in or live in and the amount of pollution in the area. POLLUTION Pollution can influence the development and a source of ill health among every individual in society, decades ago with a lack of sanitation and poor sewage across the country resulted in many life threatening diseases such as cholera. Cholera is a bacterial infection caused by drinking contaminated water or food that has been in contact with contaminated water. Not all individuals who get infected will develop symptoms but those who do will experience severe diarrhea, a feeling of being sick and stomach cramps, which usually develop in a few days after infection. If left untreated an  individual can quickly become dehydrated and could go into shock due to a sudden drop in their blood pressure and in some cases could be fatal. The condition is mostly common now in the regions of the world that as poor satiation with no cases reported in England for years travelers who go abroad occasionally bring the infection back with them, from countries like Asia, Africa and the Middle East. â⠂¬Å"The World Health Organization estimates that there are between 3 and 5 million cases of cholera worldwide every year.† www.who.org.uk. (Accessed 23/6/14). Until quite recently before lead was removed from petrol or paint the concern was that lead pollution in the air could affect the brain development of a child, they are still issues today about air and water pollution. Lead is a naturally occurring basic element and a metal, lead pollution occurs because of the lead that’s in the atmosphere that effects the environment. Lead pollution primarily came from cars in the past and in the past the dangers were unknown. Lead poisoning could cause birth defects in unborn children and could kill a person if enough was in the body and some deposits of lead in soil can harm both humans and animals by absorbing into the Lead in the body cam damage internal organs individuals also can have damage to brain and the nervous system; it can also cause reproductive disorders or osteoporosis and in some cases can be fatal. With pollution still being affected now individuals in the cities are still at risk of developing lung diseases, it can affect a child’s physical development and cause respiratory problems in all individuals, and babies and children growth can be restricted and in some cases cause asthma. An individual’s physical and intellectual development could be restricted due to the pollution being so high, with being unable access social activities or attend education facilities due to ill health. HOUSING Poor housing conditions can delay development and growth in individuals in society and cause poor health conditions. Poor quality housing with damp and mould can increase the risk of individuals developing inflammatory diseases and asthma. Other problems such as poor lightening, lack of facilities over crowded areas and the pollution from traffic or industrial sites. The older generation on low income will worry over the cost of heating bills and are more likely to leave the heating off during snaps of cold weather. Children  in poor housing conditions are more likely to have increased risk of ill health and some disabilities through to early adulthood. Bad housing conditions are linked to debilitating and even fatal illnesses and accidents. Children in overcrowded conditions are more likely to suffer with meningitis; it is life threatening and leave long term effects as deafness, blindness and in some cases behavioral problems. Another illness that is linked to overcrowding is tuberculosis and it can lead to serious medical issues and some cases can be fatal. Their physical development will be affected due to the unfit conditions and are more likely to have respiratory problems such as coughing, wheezing and asthmatic. This will restrict their physical activities as they need to stop taking part because of medical conditions. For many children with the conditions mean they will lose sleep and miss school regularly. The intellectually development and growth of individuals especially children could be affected by overcrowding in a property, by having disturbed sleep from the noise either in the house or surrounding area, which could lead to them having little concentration in school. Social development could be affected due to high risk crime rate in the neighbourhood, individuals will be scared to leave their properties in case their attacked or broken into. With little social connect and communication people will be isolated and feel that they are not part of a community that they live in. which could lead to their emotional developmental being affected by becoming depressed, and unapproachable by other individuals in community. LIFESTYLE FACTORS Lifestyle factors that can have influence on the development and growth of an individual in society, is how an individual spends their time and money to create a better living. Some lifestyle choices will be influenced by their culture and individuals in their life. Many individuals develop habits that are connected to diet, exercise or alcohol whilst some will never choose a lifestyle but just seem to fall into one. SUBSTANCE MISUSE Substance is either illicit or prescribed drugs, alcohol or solvents misuse is the consumption of the substances which could be for dependent use or associated to having harmful effect on any individual in society. The department of health states that men should only have 4 units of alcohol a  day and women should have no more than 3 units. It is well documented that the younger generation of men and women lifestyle involves more than the recommended units with them drinking heavily on a daily basis. A national reported stated that men and women had stated that they had taken illicit drugs, roughly one out of three young men and one in five young women stated that they had used cannabis. All kinds of substance misuse is harmfully and can cause a number of health risks, the use of drugs, alcohol and solvents can cause individuals to have accident, unsociable behaviour crime and health issues including poisoning, or overdose. The use of more potential harmful drugs can cause individuals to have higher risks with their health and greater social risks in the community. Physical dependency is when the substance is used in order to feel good, or avoid feeling bad, this is done to avoid any physical discomfort and when it is used to avoid anxiety or mental stress it is known as psychological dependence. It is stated that children whose parents are misusing substances are at a increased risk of neglect, emotional and physical and sexual abuse either by the parent or because the child is vulnerable to others who misuse. Children’s physical emotional, intellectual and social developmental needs can be serious affected their parent’s misuse of substances. The physical harm could be if children have access to drug paraphernalia within the home, substance misuse in pregnancy can result in chemical dependency when born. Parents are putting children at risk by neglecting their needs concerning factors are children receiving inadequate supervision health appointments being used or advice not being sought. Children’s education disrupted and poor attendance at school due to them not attending regularly, because the parent is high on a substance. Children having no clear boundaries in the family home with the child sometimes assuming the role of the parent. They emotional and social needs will also be neglected as the parent will ignore them and not show them any kind affection. The only social development they will have is around other individuals who use substances in they life. PREDICTABLE AND UNPREDICTABLE EVENTS Predictable and unpredictable life events are influenced by a number of life factors and individuals are also influenced by the different events that happen. A number of changes in an individuals life can be predicted whilst  many others are unpredicted. An unpredictable event that could be affecting Emily now is moving to a new school after the recent divorce of her parents, she is finding the transition very difficult to cope with Physically she is finding it hard to adjust to the new surroundings of the school, since the move she has started suffering with panic attacks and eating less at meals times leaving her feeling weak and exhausted and unable to function in simply tasks. Intellectually since she missed quite a few weeks of schooling she has fallen behind the rest of the class adding to the stress. Her class work is starting to suffer in some areas and she is finding it hard to concentrate because of all of the upheaval and sadness leading to her working at a slower rate f rom the rest of the class. Although she has these issues she is spending time practicing on her sing and playing guitar by spending as much time as possible on her own. Emotionally Emily is becoming moody and angry very quickly with her mother as she blames her not having her father around anymore and she is becoming jealous of her twin brothers. As she believes that they are taking all the attention of her mother away from her. She feels that no one understands how she feels and this is affecting her confidence and feels unloved. She unhappy about the current situation she finds herself in and as started to be disruptive at home. Socially Emily is finding it difficult informing new friendships at school or near her home, she is becoming very isolated from her family by spending time in her room. She is wants to be with the friends she had at her previous school and home, and finding it hard to stay in touch with them. As a result of not forming new friendships easily it has knocked her confidence further and refusing to attend school or any other social situation. A predictable life event that could affect Emily in the future is leaving home, which could influence her development in adulthood. The physical development which will have a major impact on her as individual will be that she will have a change in her diet due to lack of cooking experience, learning to cook and have food that is high in nutrition will be positive experience and could influence her development in adulthood by trying other new experiences. Her intellectual development will be influenced through her having to take control of her own finances, paying all the bills and learning how to much her money till next pay day. Her emotional development could be influenced by her becoming more independent  and feeling that she as achieved something in her life. The negative side to emotional development is that she will feel she has lost the support of her family and become lonely. Developing new relationships will influences her social development as individual in society, and attending a community social group will boost her social contact and allow her to achieve her own independence as individual and have control over her environment. Another unpredictable life event could be the death of her grandmother that will affect her emotional wellbeing and social wellbeing. Emily will need to learn to cope with her loss of the person she thought the world off; she will have to come to terms that she will never see the person again and never be able to talk to her again. Her physical development will be affected as she will not have the energy to get up and do any physical activity during her grief. She will feel angry and unable to eat so will have less energy to do daily tasks, she will be weak and exhausted due to the lack of sleep and finding it hard to cope because of the loss with her practical help with her living activities. Her emotional development will be affected because she as lost the person who provided her with the emotional support she needed and that she was emotionally attached to. She will be struggling to keep her emotions under control and will become angrier at grandmother for leaving to cope on her own. Her intellectual development will be affected because she will be too tired to attend work or if still studying to attend any of her lessons due to lack of concentration and confidence due to her grandmother no longer reassuring her that she can achieve anything that she tries. Emily’s social development will be affected because of the lack of support in leisure and social activities since her grandmother supported her during these Emily would easily give them up and become isolated for the time been. Another predictable life event that could affect Emily in the future is marriage, she will need to learn how to look after someone else and cope with the loss of her dependence in society. Her physical development could be changed due to the demands on her life; she will need to learn to adjust her cooking ability, she might need to change her diet to more a nutrition and take apart in more physical exercise. Her intellectual development will change as she could lose control over her over her finances, she will need to learn how to share the bills and budget for things that are needed in the future. Emily will need to  learn to put money away for her retirement or for when they start a family. Emily’s emotional needs will change as well she will need to safe in making emotional attachments and to feel safe in experiencing any kind of intimacy for the first time, by not being embarrassed about her body or looks. She will need to confident and trust the person she has chosen to spend her life with. Emily social development will have changed now instead of doing things by herself she will have someone to share her personal experiences with. With having extended family her social life could be busy at times and more social connect will be demanded from them. the days that she felt isolated will no longer be present but occasionally she might wish for them days again. NATURE/NURTURE The nature verse nurture debate argues that individuals in society are to be the way we are whilst others argue that it is about the way we are brought up and what influences us that makes the way we are. Nature is biological genetic influences nurture is social, economic and the environmental influences. Nature refers to the traits that individuals inherit or genetic, its well documented that most of the human aspects of development are driven directly or indirectly by the persons genetic makeup. This is what determines eye, hair colour, skin type and some other characteristics that are derived directly from our genetic makeup. Heredity determines the physiological differences between females and males with many differences present at birth whilst over differences don’t present themselves till a child reaches puberty. It causes girls to reach puberty earlier than boys and causes boys to have more muscles and be taller than girls in general. Heredity accounts for all gender differences in boys and girls, boys are more likely to be physically aggressive a gene that is linked to them having increased levels of testosterone. Researchers have stated that hormones play a role in the differences in visual and verbal abilities among children. It states that boys are more likely to have higher visual abilities and girls will have higher verbal abilities. Nurture refers to all the environmental influences that occur after conception, meaning how individual is raised that drives their development. Including the level of attachment, their beliefs and values and how much attention is given to the environmental  influences, i.e. some cultures practice and promote gender specific behaviour. The environment and specific cultures state that some behaviours are more appropriate for males whilst others are more appropriate for females. Environmental influences on gender differences involve parents treating their sons and daughters diffe rently from each other, there are more likely to respond more daughters who have requested help whist their sons are encouraged to solve issues independently. Most parents encourage gender behaviour by offering specific toys such trucks and toy guns for boys, dolls and prams for girls. Example: any musical talent is affected by nature; all musical skills are normally in heredity from parents. So parents who have a musical talent have children who have a musical talent too and have the same characteristics. Elvis Presley was a very talented musician that sang and played the piano he was loved and respected by nearly everyone. He composed loads of songs that individuals still like to listen to today. He had a daughter named Lisa Marie who is famous in her own right, both had the same taste for music, but her father is more famous for his talent in rock and roll than she is. Her father might have influenced her a lot in this which involves nurture but the musical talent that she possesses comes from her father. Example: drug addiction. In the case of Lisa Marie Presley the environment had a massive influence on her life, as she was known to be the daughter of Elvis, due to the circumstances surrounding her upbringing and life style. The environment had an influence on her taking drugs due to her having a lack of privacy. ALBERT AND ALAN The strengths and weaknesses in the nature and nurture debate concerning Albert and Alan; The strengths of Albert and Alan are they both have the same colour eye and hair, and both are extremely tall. Both had a caring nature and were successfully in their chosen careers. Both were successfully at school and enjoyed playing physical sport. Albert achieved the grades that he was predicted in subjects where Alan achieved higher grades and stayed on to achieve more. Albert had many friends and associates had lived his life to the full extent where, and socialized more frequently compared to Alan who only had friends in the school environment didn’t socialize much outside the school environment. They different upbringings influenced them both in different ways Alan loved to have expensive things where as Albert  enjoyed the simple things in life. The weaknesses that the environment had on Albert and Alan are they both attend different types of schools, because of the environment influences Alan was able to attend university where as Albert had to leave school and work to help with supporting his family. The environment influenced them both to smoke during their life, but due to marriage Albert had given up and relatively good health until recently. Alan had continued to smoke all his life and his health suffered dramatically until his recent death. Both nature and nurture played a part in the influences of Albert and Alan life either in a good way or bad way. CONCLUSION With all the different aspects that can affect growth and development of individuals’ society, individuals need to be aware of the dangers that could affect them to develop during their lifespan. Even though nature and nurture play a vital role in the influences of individuals it is actually the individual who makes the choice of what route they take. BIBLIOGRAPHY http://www.cysticfibrosis.org.uk/about-cf/cystic-fibrosis-care/standards-of-care. http://www.nofas-uk.org/. www.who.org.uk http://www.poverty.org.uk/02/index.shtml?2 http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Toxoplasmosis/ http://education-portal.com/academy/lesson/gender-differences-the-nature-versus-nurture- http://www.patient.co.uk/health/Cystic-Fibrosis