What do scientists mean when they talk about nature versus nurture?
“Nature versus nurture” refers to an ongoing debate about how much genes are responsible for an individual’s traits, compared to how much is due to the environment around the person. There are some areas where genetics clearly dominate: certain hereditary diseases, for example, such as cystic fibrosis, or hair and eye color. And what language a child ends up speaking is entirely determined by his or her environment. But other traits appear to develop from a combination of both influences. For example, a person’s height as an adult is determined to some extent by his or her genes, but environmental factors such as diet can also impact height. The same is true for weight. Some women are genetically predisposed to store more body fat in particular areas of the body (around the abdomen versus the hips), but this propensity can be controlled through diet and exercise. The issue becomes even more complex when dealing with the brain. Hormones help build structures in the brain, so genetics cl
