Re: Charles Kennedy

deepbluesky <nospam@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> "Rowland McDonnell" <real-address-in-sig@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> > Tim <jukebox.earthangel.reactive@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> >
> >> Rowland McDonnell wrote:
> <snip>
> >
> > I know that some people turn into alkies more readily than others, and
> > it'd be daft to think that there's not something hereditary going on
> > there all things considered. On the other hand, until someone
> > identifies the gene pattern responsible (if there is one), I'll talk
> > about it being hereditary rather than genetic. You need evidence before
> > you can point the finger - otherwise it's just supposition and
> > guesswork.
> >
>
> OED definition of "hereditary": "able to be passed on genetically from
> parents to their offspring"

The OED's wrong on this as it is wrong about many scientific
definitions.

> How else can someone inherit a condition or liability/tendency to a
> condition, if not through their genes (either as an affected 'whole' gene or
> some tiny aspect of one)?

One mechanism is modifying the methyl groups attached to DNA, according
to the current New Scientist (for example): that doesn't affect genetic
coding.

As I've been saying quite a lot, nobody's got a clue about the full
story on this one. I don't know, you don't know, nobody knows. PLease
dont' use the `reasoning' that if I don't know the mechanism, I've got
to be wrong especially when some people say that they do know the
mechanism. Nobody understand heredity properly. Even genes aren't
understood - not really. They've figured out some of the things that
some genes do, but it's very early days.

Another strong aspect of heredity is your upbringing - the details of
the way you are reared provides input to heredity. It might sound odd,
but think on it: you are what you eat (trite, but true) you eat what
your parents provide, they choose what to provide based on their
upbringing and circumstances, and so effects cascade down the
generations in hereditary form.

Rowland.


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