Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.
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Misophonia & Genetics
Say what? Misophonia Misophonia: when certain sounds may provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual (e.g. if the sound of somebody chewing may cause someone to feel enraged).
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Hair Color & Genetics
How it works Our bodies produce a substance called pigment, and pigments are responsible for the colorof our skin, hair, and eyes. When scientists talk about the pigments people produce, they’re typically referring to melanin. There are two types of melanin you should remember: eumelanin, which is brown/black, and pheomelanin, which is red/yellow.The lightness or…
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Newborn Hair & Genetics
How it works Babies are born with all the hair follicles they’ll need in their lifetimes. On average, people come into this world with about five million hair follicles. Around week 10 of pregnancy, those follicles start growing tiny strands of hair called lanugo. By week 20, the scalp is covered with hair.But lanugo isn’t…
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Motion Sickness & Genetics
How it works To maintain your balance, your brain relies on signals from multiple sources: your eyes, your muscles and joints, and the vestibular system in your inner ear. Most scientists think that motion sickness occurs due to “sensory conflict” — when your vestibular system and muscles tell your brain that you’re moving but your…
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Red Hair & Genetics
How it works Hair color comes from melanin, a pigment in your skin, hair, and eyes. If you produce a lot of the melanin type eumelanin, you probably have black or brown hair. If you don’t produce much eumelanin, your hair is probably blond. And, if you have low levels of eumelanin plus high levels…
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Photic Sneeze Reflex & Genetics
How it works Exposure to bright sunlight causes some people to sneeze. Scientists are still trying to understand this reflex. In the meantime, they’ve come up with a couple of theories, as well as a clever name: “Autosomal Dominant Compelling Helio-Ophthalmic Outburst,” or “ACHOO Syndrome.” The genetic link Scientists originally thought this reflex was probably…
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Skin Pigmentation & Genetics
How it works People with darker skin generally make more eumelanin, a type of black or brown-colored pigment. Lighter-skinned people tend to make less of this pigment. Scientists generally believe that eumelanin does a better job blocking the sun’s UV rays compared to the yellow-red pigment pheomelanin. The genetic link Two genes, called SLC45A2 and…
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Sleep Movement & Genetics
The science of sleep movement Did you know that many people twitch multiple times throughout the night while they’re asleep? These involuntary twitches are called periodic limb movements, or PLMs. During sleep studies, researchers measure PLMs by placing electrodes on the arms and legs of a sleeping person. The genetic link Scientists have identified a…
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Muscle Composition & Genetics
How it works Our muscles are made of two main types of fibers: slow-twitch and fast-twitch. We move our bodies by contracting and releasing our muscles, and fiber types play a role how a muscle contracts. While slow-twitch fibers contract slowly, they tire less easily. Fast twitch fibers contract quickly, offering short bursts of powerful…
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Lactose Intolerance & Genetics
How it works Lactose is a type of sugar found in dairy products. Most babies are born with the ability to digest lactose, which helps them process their mother’s breast milk. But as children grow older and begin to eat different foods, their bodies can stop producing lactase, the enzyme that digests lactose. In most…
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