The Possibility of Environmental Impact on Germline DNA

The fragmentation of DNA and sperm in eggs is a common occurrence, especially as people age./nSome mutations in DNA, sperm, and eggs may still result in viable embryos./nEnvironmental events have the potential to change the germline in theory./nHeritable changes in DNA structure are a separate issue from marks on DNA./nEpigenetic transfer can occur over a single generation.

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In this episode, my guest is Dr. David Linden, Ph.D., professor of neuroscience at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and the author of many popular books about the brain. We discuss individual differences between people — focusing on differences in how people sense the world around them and the roles that chance, heredity, and life experiences (even in utero) play in determining our physical and cognitive traits. We discuss the bidirectional connection between the mind and body and how our thoughts and mental practices (e.g., meditation and breathwork) impact our health. We also discuss the link between inflammation and depression. We also discuss Dr. Linden’s terminal illness diagnosis, his mindset during chemotherapy and what his diagnosis has taught him about the mind, gratitude, time perception and life. This episode also covers sensual touch, cerebellar function, and epigenetic inheritance and ought to be of interest to all interested in neuroscience, genetics, psychology and human development.

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