Genes and behaviour

With the DNA sequence of the human genome jotted down the hard work now begins of making sense of the data. A critical part of this is establishing the extent to which people’s behaviour is determined by their genetic make-up. The relationship between genes, environment and behaviour is vastly more complex than any simplistic concept of genetic determinism. Rather than being preprogrammed gene-machines, human beings are created in the image of a God who will hold us responsible for our actions. Serious study of the genetics of behaviour started with work on social invertebrates. By observing ants, biologists discovered that cooperative behaviour can be