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Exposure Raises Descendants' Sensitivity to Stress
We are now in the third human generation since the start of the chemical revolution, since humans have been exposed to these kinds of toxins," says Crews. "This is the animal model of that."
"The ancestral exposure of your great grandmother alters your brain development to then respond to stress differently," says Skinner. "We did not know a stress response could be programmed by your ancestors' environmental exposures."
The researchers had already shown exposure to vinclozolin can effect subsequent generations by affecting how genes are turned on and off, a process called epigenetics. In that case, the epigenetic transgenerational inheritance altered how rats choose mates.
The new research deepens their study of the epigenetics of the brain and behavior, dealing for the first time with real-life challenges like stress. It also takes a rare systems biology approach, looking at the brain from the molecular level to the physiological level to behavior.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120521163853.htm
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Could this be the smoking ADD,ADHD,AUTISM,depression etc gun?
As another said, we wont eat any but PERFECT fruit/veggies. Before we can change our exposures, we must educate our population to accept imperfect grown foods. Lowering the price might be a start, as they would be throwing less away. It would allow us to have cheaper organic foods.
I buy most foods imperfect, and cheaper. Those I cook for complain a bit. But, I am an accomplished chef, and they get over it. Time for a campaign, sorta like the campaign that told us dandelions are pretty.
PS, reducing work pollution and exposures is also important. I have fought bitterly with employers that demanded you expose yourself.
KT2000
(20,568 posts)cared more about this issue. There is a mountain of environmental health research that shows how the human body has been altered by exogenous chemicals. Still, people will value their perfect lawns and perfect foods over the safety of humans - even children. We will continue to pour more money into special ed and medical costs rather than face the Monsantos and Bayers of this world.
Yes - work place exposures may even be getting worse with the loss of union power. Keep up the fight!
WingDinger
(3,690 posts)Union? Few have that protection anymore. I have heart failure from molten plastic fumes. The industry doesnt even require vent hoods during the purging operations. I have had bosses yell at me to grind the Beryllium, stop complaining about the acid fumes that hurt EVERYONES eyes. If I call OSHA again, about noise level, I am fired.
I couldnt get the operators to sweep up the plastic pellets, even after I told them that they run down the sewer, and into the ocean, where fish eat them, till they have a full inert belly.
If man doesnt smarten up soon, we will perish. We dont respect nature till it serves us.
nashville_brook
(20,958 posts)that would rise to the level of altering us molecularly. i wonder this b/c it seems like starvation would be a primary biological signal that living systems would attempt to protect against.
is it possible that dieting could be making us fatter, in other words.
and if so...could this not be the ultimate rationalization for not dieting (that you wouldn't want to pass weight issues down to your progeny).
WingDinger
(3,690 posts)Could expecting the apocalypse cause biological changes?
SoCalDem
(103,856 posts)might have done to my descendants..
oh wait.. my kids have not yet procreated..maybe they won't