Reference no: EM133590796
Objective: Provides a metaphor for the interaction between nature and nurture or heredity and environment and stimulates the first DB assignment for HIN268
Background: David B. Miller describes a useful metaphor to illustrate the complexities of biology and environmental influences on development. Miller uses four different food items to represent developmental outcomes. All four food items use flour as a base ingredient; flour represents genetic factors. Other ingredients interact with the flour in different ways, as does the cooking process.
For example: flour plus salt plus water fried in shortening "develops" into a flour tortilla. The same ingredients, when baked, yield a matzo. Add yeast to these ingredients, and it is bread. By adding butter, cocoa, and sugar, it transforms into a brownie.
Using examples from your own life and the lessons, concepts and/or theories in your textbook and/or reference below (or other pertinent articles), comment on the above metaphor. If it helps to make your point, use one or more of the following four developmental processes:
Developmental constraints-range of possible outcomes is narrowed by the selected ingredients. Flour does not "code" for any specific outcome, nor do genes code for developmental results.As development proceeds, the organism achieves a form that more and more closely approximates the developmental outcome.Once the developmental endpoint or outcome is reached, it is difficult to separately identify the earlier elements that contributed to the final "product."