Question

Look up “Doogie mice” on the Web. These mice have been genetically altered so that they express a particular gene that plays an important role in memory. As a result, the mice remember better, and therefore seem smarter. What is your impression of the “Doogie mice?” Could this hold the answer for creating smarter humans? Is this something that warrants further study, in other animals or eventually humans? Answer must be 2 to 3 paragraphs.

Answer 1

Usuall rodents or mice were not smart as they did not had a gene in lesser amount and the positive correlation between the gene and the cognitive function of memorising became very difficult.Scientists conducted a study and found that extra copies of the gene named NR2B have to be entered in the brain region of the mice so that it enhances the encoding of the NMDA receptor enabling the mice to memorise things. Thus was done by the psychologist named Tsien and his collaegues of MIT and the University of Washington. These mice were known as the Doggie Mice. Durung the resting phase the doggie mice and the control mice were put in a space with an object. Again after a few days the old object and the new object both were placed there with the mice. The result showed that the doggie mice ignored the ild one and gave attention to the exploring of the new one but the control mice divided its time on both as it did not remember the old one. Their learning process and its improvement was also rested. The mice were kept in a chamber and guven some shocks and after a few days when they were again left their without the shock, the control mice did hesistate and got scared in the begining but adapted to the chnge and learned the normal behavior because of the change faster than the normal mice. This proves that increasing NR2B in the brain did improve the cognitive processes of the mice and made them more intelligent.

In my view the doggie mice have been definitely proved to show improvement and better perdormaces than normal mice. Also i would like to point out that it does show that our genes to some extent are responsible for our cognitive processes. Like altering a gene in the brain of the mice did enhance its performance and made it intelligent, it can also be done to treat certain conditions in human beings like dementia precox in which a person has a tendency to forget things.

Although it has not yet been tested on humans, still many psychologists believe that it can be used in humans to increase their abulity to memorise. Humans do have the required amount of the gene in normal cases but in case of the disorder dementia which leads to loss of memory this gene and its performance is lowered. Increasing the gene in the brain of such people and enhancing the NMDA Receptor so as to result in the actuvation of the process of the memorising faster and sharply is indeed good idea. But it cant be done right now as it needs proper testing of the possibilities and research too. Application of this on humans to make them smarter is possible but it is questionable whether it would be accessible to all of then equally or it would be only used by the richer because of the huge amniubt if cost invilved in it. Hence making the richer people intellectually advantaged over the poor.

Intelligence according to the psychological studies is not only a factor derermined only by genes in humans. Studues have indicated that although heredity is the major determinant of intelligence in hunans but nature also plays a strong role in determining it . Our surroundings effect iur experiences and these experiences when turned into memories determine our actions. Our experiences also derermine what needs to be remembered and what not. All this has provided the basis for the improvement this study and further extending it with mire research. Hence it dies warrant new studies in humans as well as animals.