All Articles Tagged "genetics"

An Open Letter To My Stubborn Gray Hair

June 15th, 2012 - By Marissa Ellis
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You started creeping up on me at 20. There was only a few of you then. When friends caught sight of your strands on the back of my head, they’d make fun and said I needed to stop stressing out so much. But it wasn’t stress that triggered your outgrowth (although I had enough stress during that time), it was genetics. I couldn’t fight my hereditary destiny. My mother and father both were 50 percent gray by the time they turned 40, and I can only imagine where they had been at my age.

It seemed that for a few years, you ten strands of gray hair maintained your presence. But then I turned 28, and it seemed that you made the decision to attack full force. I wouldn’t have minded as much if you decided to stay away from my crown but it was quite obvious that was your favorite part . All along my edges, you sprouted, and aged me beyond my years.

Like my mother, I’d go on to fight the good fight of keeping you concealed. But you are a stubborn bunch. Just when I thought I could have you easily covered under semi-permanents, you decided to prove the theory of hair growth right; in other words, you grew fast and now I truly do believe that hair grows an inch a month. Because of your over-zealousness, my hair regiments became more complicated and my salon appointments became more expensive.

You had pretty much become a demanding part of my life. Now, I had to put an extra $20 per month towards semi-permanent color add-ons I’d get along with my usual treatment at the salon. Earlier on, I thought I could control you myself but I lost too much time and one too many nice shirts in the process of coloring.

I’ve looked up ways to fight grays with nutrition (when you’re looking for solutions, a myriad of natural herbs will pop up in your google searches) and have tried a few to no avail. I’ve also tried plucking you along my hairline but that process always gives me goosebumps. For the meantime, I’ve decided to accept your presence in my life. Understandably, you’re not the worst thing that could’ve happened to my hair. I’m thankful for the fact that I don’t suffer from thinning hair or random baldness, so although I know you’re a mild problem; I just wish you would slow your rapid takeover of my head. At the very least, can you wait til I turn 40 to expand your holdings? Please? Pretty please?

 

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Remember The Black and White Twins?

June 8th, 2012 - By Marissa Ellis
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In 2005, twin sisters Kian and Remee from the U.K made international headlines because of their stark contract in appearance; one kid looked white and the other looked black. One was brown haired and brown eyed, and the other was blonde and blue eyed. It was an anolomy of genetic outcomes. The parents of the twins are both mixed, but the odds were against seeing this type of outcome. According to the Daily Mail:

The odds of a mixed race couple having twins of different colours are a million to one. Skin colour is believed to be determined by up to seven different genes working together. If a parent is of mixed race, their eggs or sperm will contain a mixture of genetic codes for both black and white skin. However, if both the egg and sperm contain all white genes, the baby will be white. And if both contain just the versions necessary for black skin, the baby will be black.

The twins recently celebrated their seventh birthday and it seems that the twins are looking more alike and that the “white” twin is looking more black as compared to this photo below when they were born.

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Harvard Law Student: 'African Americans Are, On Average, Genetically Predisposed To Be Less Intelligent'

April 28th, 2010 - By TheEditor
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A third-year Harvard Law Student has landed himself in hot water after an email discussing his beliefs on genetic predisposition to intelligence was released to the media.

Here’s an excerpt:

I absolutely do not rule out the possibility that African Americans are, on average, genetically predisposed to be less intelligent. I could also obviously be convinced that by controlling for the right variables, we would see that they are, in fact, as intelligent as white people under the same circumstances. The fact is, some things are genetic. African Americans tend to have darker skin. Irish people are more likely to have red hair.

The email continues:

Everyone wants someone to take 100 white infants and 100 African American ones and raise them in Disney utopia and prove once and for all that we are all equal on every dimension, or at least the really important ones like intelligence. I am merely not 100% convinced that this is the case.

Rick Kittles Empowers African-Americans With Genetic Discoveries and Cancer Research

March 17th, 2010 - By TheEditor
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Geneticist Rick Kittles lands at O’Hare International Airport after giving a speech in South Carolina. He stops at home in Hyde Park only to put on a business suit. His day is far from over. He rushes to the Museum of Science and Industry to host and moderate a panel discussion on the value of science, a program broadcast live on PBS.

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