Once genetic alterations have been made, one’s genes can induce different responses compared to other individuals. As a result, some people may develop a disease after exposure to something in the environment, while others may not. Epigenetic alterations can be elicited through environmental factors significantly augmenting the relationship between DNA and proteins (Ayorech et al., 2019). Your genes hold the basic instructions for your body to grow and function, but they are far from the only thing controlling your traits. Most traits are shaped both by a person’s genes and by environmental factors. Environmental factors include everything outside of DNA that affects your traits (Ayorech et al., 2019).
A DNP-prepared nurse can use the information to educate their patients on how genes, via their influences on morphology and physiology, create a framework within which the environment shapes an individual’s behavior. The environment can affect morphological and physiological development; behavior develops due to that patient’s shape and internal workings (Ludeke et al., 2021). In addition, genetics influence a child’s well-being by setting the limits of growth, development, and health potential that could lead to a child’s insecurity about some aspects about their self, but with the right lifestyle factors, for example, physical activity, can lead to a lavish lifestyle with a child’s well-being (Ludeke et al., 2021). Furthermore, genes can interact with other genes and the environment. Some genes may dominate and prevent others from being expressed. In other cases, specific biological influences might impact genetic expression. An example of biological influence over gene expression is a child not getting proper nutrition (Ludeke et al., 2021). In addition, the environment a child is exposed to both in utero and throughout the rest of their life can also impact how genes are expressed. For example, exposure to harmful drugs while in utero can dramatically impact later child development (Ludeke et al., 2021).
Ayorech, Z., Plomin, R., & von Stumm, S. (2019). Using DNA to predict educational trajectories in early adulthood. Developmental Psychology, 55(5), 1088.
Ludeke, S. G., Gensowski, M., Junge, S. Y., Kirkpatrick, R. M., John, O. P., & Andersen, S. C. (2021). Does parental education influence child educational outcomes? A developmental analysis in a full-population sample and adoptee design. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 120(4).
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