In genealogy, we usually consider that who-we-are is determined by our genes. It is the nature in the nature vs. nurture argument. Genes determine our physical characteristics. But we don't neglect nurture either. So much of who-we-are is determined by how we were raised. Everything we learn from our parents, our food preferences, our behaviors, our tradition and culture, and every little quirky thing we see our parents do, becomes a part of us, to be passed down to our children, just as our genes are. That's why it is so important to try to answer the questions about our ancestor's lives, so that we can understand this side of genealogy. This is the nurture side of the equation, and I think, it is as important as the genetics. Nurture doesn't require a genetic relationship. Some relationships are not genetic, yet are just as important. Adopted children may not have the genes of their adoptive parents, but they do share in the nurturing piece just as birth children.
I'm wondering if we can soon add a new dimension to who-we-are. Although the bacteria in our body weigh only a few pounds, they make up roughly half the cells in our body. For every gene we have, our collection of bacteria have one hundred. That collection of organisms is our microbiome. The Smithsonian published an article discussing this and research performed at Ohio State University. It turns out that the our microbiomes differ greatly from each other. We each have a microbiome fingerprint. No two people have the same microbiome. But we do share similarities with others. Researchers were able to develop a model that was fairly accurate at determining race from the types of bacteria in an individual's mouth swabs.
Research is under way to explain the microbiome differences between different individuals. Possible reasons include genetics, diet, stage of life, and antibiotic intake. But it is clear that families do share the same mixes of bacteria, as described by Science Daily.
Some organisms in our body are bad for us, but most aren't, in fact some are very necessary. They are not just passive organisms, sharing our body with us. They have definite effects on us, and different mixes of organisms have been found to effect our health. Other studies, such as one described in Live Science suggest that these microorganisms can even communicate with our brains to affect our mood and who knows what else. And researchers are wondering what diseases may be caused by the effects of our microbiome. Clearly, our microbiome is an important part of who-we-are, perhaps as important as our genes and our upbringing.
There are currently, several companies that do microbiome testing on individuals. These include UBiome, American Gut Project, SmartDNA and others, but these have no genealogical purposes that I can see. They are strictly for diet and health. But just as the human genome studies eventually worked their way into genealogy, I suspect studies of the human microbiome will as well. While genetics is well understood, just how, and to what extent, we inherit our microbiome, is yet to be determined. I'm willing to bet there will be some application to genealogy in the future. Somebody will have to come up with an addition to nature vs. nurture. How about nature vs. nurture vs. bioture?
Bob Mesenbrink
(c) 2016
