A genetic inheritance of trauma?
April 14, 2014 Comments Off on A genetic inheritance of trauma?Read morePeople who experience early childhood trauma, like abuse or war, often exhibit a number of hormonal imbalances. The mechanisms involved are poorly understood, but most scientists agree that traumatic events alter gene expression, which then causes misregulations in a number of biological processes. But whether these changes can actually be passed down to offspring is a controversial question, because it would imply that acquired traits – traits that aren’t actually encoded in DNA, but rather arise following certain experiences – are somehow being passed down through generations.