How do we support the enthusiasm children show for biology in school? Unfortunately, lack of exciting practical work and boring biology lessons seem to make science less popular. As a senior lecturer in plant physiology at Karlstad University I have simplified experiments intended for students at university and then tested them on 10-11 year old…

Photosensitivity or photoparoxysmal response (PPR) is a highly heritable electroencephalographic trait characterized by an abnormal cortical response to intermittent photic stimulation (IPS). In PPR-positive individuals, IPS induces spikes, spike-waves or intermittent slow waves. The PPR may be restricted to posterior visual areas (i.e. local PPR…

This study examined the validity of the Klonoff and Landrine Illness-Belief Scale when applied to Latino college students (n = 156; 34% male, 66% female) at high risk for future diabetes onset. Principal factor analysis yielded four significant factors--emotional, folk beliefs, punitive, gene/hereditary--which accounted for 64.5% of variance and…

Background: The aim of this study was to assess the validity of diagnosing attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in high IQ children and to further characterize the clinical features associated with their ADHD. Methods: We operationalized giftedness/high IQ as having a full scale IQ greater than or equal to 120. We identified 92 children…

An interview with an orthopedic surgeon investigates the connections between heredity, injury, and arthritis. Tips on preventing injury and treating inflammatory disorders are given. (MT)

The article reviews current findings and theories concerning neurological bases of dyslexia. The involvement of hereditary factors is pointed out as well as irregularities in the brain's left hemisphere and patterns of electrical activity. (CL)

This document defines and discusses autism and how genes play a role in the condition. Answers to the following questions are covered: (1) What are genes? (2) What is autism? (3) What causes autism? (4) Why study genes to learn about autism? (5) How do researchers look for the genes involved in autism? (screen the whole genome; conduct cytogenetic…

Analysis of IQ's of 262 children and their 129 schizophrenic parents revealed no deleterious effects on the intellectual development of the children. (MH)

Results of a study involving 136 pairs of identical twins reared together, 175 pairs of fraternal twins reared together, 83 pairs of identical twins reared apart, and 182 pairs of fraternal twins reared apart suggest that genotype- environment covariance is important for the work environment and should be included as a parameter in behavior…

Probability is an essential tool for understanding heredity and modern genetics, yet many students have difficulty with this topic due to the abstract and quantitative nature of the subject. To facilitate student learning of probability in genetics, we have developed a set of hands-on, cooperative activities that allow students to determine…

This article reveals the disturbing truths uncovered by a retired biology professor about the past practices of a North Carolina hospital. In the 1990s, Irene Clark was a biology professor at St. Augustine's College, a historically Black college in Raleigh, North Carolina. One day, a janitor asked the native Virginian what she knew about the…

A standard interpretation of the coefficient of correlation may be obtained from the ratio of two variances. If it is assumed that two variables, X and Y, are bivariate normal and scaled to have zero means and unit variances, it can be shown that the correlation between X and Y is the ratio of two conditional means. Galton's statistical studies of…

The introductory discussion focuses on the change in the current scientific climate regarding the role of heredity in the etiology of behavioral disorders. The author and his colleagues embarked on a series of studies, using naturally occurring adoptions as their subject source, to tease apart hereditary and environmental factors thought to be…

Arthur Jensen replies to the critique by Steven Selden. He points out that scientists' choices of subject matter are subjective, but heritability of intelligence is no longer argued among experts. (MD)

Analysis of various statistics from birth records of 317 consecutive births revealed that twins are nonrepresentative of newborns with respect to birth weight and gestation, with male pairs to same-sex pairs the least representative. Differences between Negro and Caucasian twins were also found. (MH)