Biological Freudianism: Long-lasting Effects on Environmental Factors Through Influences on the Epigenome

Biological Freudianism: Long-lasting Effects onEnvironmental Factors Through Influences on the Epigenome

This video goes through research covering how Epigenetics can be Transgenerational in its effects. They tested this by observing the maternal care individual rats received during their development. Mainly concerned with the level of care they were given by licking, and grooming. The researchers began to test the rats to determine which groups (high and low levels of licking and grooming) had what responses to stress, rewards and on their cognition and maternal behavior. They then began to monitor how their brains changed and adapted through the course of their development.  Specifically looking in the medial preoptic area of the hypothalamus the following were effected: oxytocin receptors density, estrogen receptor alpha mRNA density, and estrogen sensitivity. The ways in which epigenetics effected the tissues and created these physiological differences were in the methylation of DNA which turned on or off certain parts of the DNA. The researchers looked into the epigenetic changes in the medial preoptic area and the ventral medial hypothalamus. 

 This type of research is fascinating in the social implications this kind of genetic biological process. As I was watching this I could not help but be reminded of Attachment theory which tries to explain the ways we humans connect based on similar affection parameters. It is an area of knowledge I deeply wish to become involved in; mainly, the connecting of biology, physiology with their psychological or sociological effects or causes. I could continue on to a philosophical spiel, but alas, I will leave speculation to the reader.