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Genes and chromosomes The tiny particles that carry the instructions from generation to generation are called genes. The genes are parts of larger particles known as chromosomes, which are present in every cell of the body. When the male joins with the female ovum (egg) at conception, twenty-three chromosomes are supplied by the father. An equal number of them are furnished by the mother. This new combination of chromosomes, each containing thousands of genes, is what makes the offspring both similar to, and different from, each parent. The genes do the work of heredity. Scientists do not agree about just how important heredity is in determining the way a person develops. Those scientists who emphasize the importance of heredity are called nativists. Those scientists who emphasize social and cultural factors in development are called environmentalists. For centuries, nativists and environmentalists have debated the importance of heredity. This debate was taking place even before psychology was recognized as a separate branch of science. Most of the controversy centers on intelligence as an inherited trait, as we saw in Chapter 4. There is also difference of opinion about the influence of heredity and environment on personality traits.
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