Intelligence Is Inherited From Mothers, Research Says
Today’s society has already leveled many inequalities between women and men. It is much easier for single mothers to take good care of their children these days. In addition, women do not have to find a smart man to have an intelligent child. Because research indicates that intelligence is inherited from mothers.
Intelligence is inherited from mothers, but how?
The theory is that there are certain genes – scientists call them “conditioned genes” – which behave differently depending on their origin. However, the body only recognizes maternal conditioned genes for the development of intelligence.
So if the father inherits a conditioned gene, the fetus rejects it, even though it has the same properties as the mother’s gene. This selection process also applies to other genes. In some cases, the fetus only activates the male genes.
We already knew that intelligence is inherited, but we did not yet know its exact origin. Until now, scientists have assumed that both parents influence intelligence equally and in unknown ways.
But now it has been found that mostly only the cells of the mother reach the child’s brain. It is therefore clear: intelligence is inherited from mothers.
New research shows that the female genes have a strong influence on the development of the child’s thoughts. But the genes that determine intelligence are in the X chromosome. So the father can also pass on his intelligence.
However, the likelihood that the mother is responsible for inheriting intelligence is much higher.
Most of the genetic defects that can limit the child’s cognitive abilities also occur in the X chromosome. Therefore, the probability that the mother will pass on these genetic defects is also higher because she carries two of the X chromosomes.
The study
Within the study, scientists tried to modify rats so that they inherited only the genes from the mother, or alternatively only the genes from the father. However, they quickly stopped this attempt, as all embryos died in the womb.
Contrary to expectations, this led to an interesting discovery: there are conditioned genes on the maternal side that promote the development of the embryo. The experts also found conditioned genes on the paternal side. These are necessary to build up the tissue of the placenta.
Researchers concluded that these conditioned genes play a large role, even after the fetus has developed. Even the brain functions are related to the development of inherited genes, so their hypothesis.
In the end, they were actually able to prove this theory. To do this, they manipulated some of the genes in mice, the genetic material of which came mainly from only one of the parents.
The result: the mice with the most maternal genes had larger brains and larger heads. In this case, too, the following applied: intelligence is inherited from mothers.
The mice with paternal genetic makeup, on the other hand, had small heads and small brains. The bodies also did not grow proportionally. The larger headed mice had smaller bodies. Conversely, those with a small head had a larger body.
In addition, it was found that cells from both parents appeared in the brain. However, the father’s cells were generally more focused on survival, aggression, and nutrition. The mother’s cells were concentrated in the areas of the brain that control cognitive functions.
One cannot just inherit intelligence.
Science estimates that around 40-60% of intelligence is inherited from mothers. The rest is influenced by the respective stimulation and environment. So even if we inherit part of our intelligence from our mother, it can still support us after the birth.
Intellectual development is highly dependent on the stimuli to which we are exposed. The emotional security and security in which we grow up are also important.
Mothers support us in developing our skills. Due to our deep connection with her, we feel more motivated and gain more self-confidence to discover the world.
Mothers don’t let us give up either. With them we learn to solve problems. We learn to be strong, to do our best and not to give in to our frustration.
The development of our minds depends heavily on the relationship we develop with our mother.
