What Does "Nature" Mean In The Context" Nature Influences Human Development?

In the nature versus nurture debate, we considered the individual's genetic inheritance to be what determines that individual's "nature." Almost from their discovery, genes were considered to be the blueprint for an individual's physical development, if not mental and emotional development as well. It is this thinking that underlies the search for disease cures, stem cell research, and genetic engineering.

In recent years, researchers have found that "it's the environment, stupid!" Genes do not self-activate, but are controlled by external influences. They may be the blueprint, but the "as-built" may be different in important respects. See "The Biology of Belief" by Bruce Lipton for a readable description of these important findings.

It is their genes that are passed down from their parents, such things as skin colour, eye colour, height and weight are all 'natures' influences. It is argued that some things are both nature and nurture nurture being things that influence an individual in the environment they grow up in such as personality. There are genetic disorders such as cystic fibrosis which again is nature.