Mice Can Warn Their Children/Grandchildren VIA Sperm

credits to optimara.com

Recently, scientists discovered that mice can warn their children and grandchildren about dangers before they are born.

This occurrence happens due to external influences rather than genetic (epigenetic). Because of environmental factors, without a chance in DNA encoding, the genes in sperm begin to behave differently. Though there are no changes in the DNA, there are epigenetic marks that may have caused a change in behavior for the offspring of trained mice.

credits to ABC Science

Studies show that lab mice trained to fear a particular smell can transfer the impulse to their unborn children and grandchildren through a mechanism in their sperm. In this case, scientists, Dias and Ressler, trained mice to fear the smell of cherry blossom by using foot shocks. Without previous exposure to the smell, the offspring of the trained mice, once exposed to the cherry blossom smell, become startled. According to the study, these mice haven’t been conceiver while their fathers underwent its training. Not only that, the offspring of the trained mice were able to detect the smell much better than their father; their reaction was 200 percent stronger than the offspring of non-trained mice.

credits to nature.com

Scientists are encouraged by the fact that transgenerational inheritance does exist. It was said that “The research claims to provide evidence for the concept of animals inheriting a memory of their ancestors' traumas, and responding as if they had lived the events themselves.” This discovery can lead to a number of things; it ‘can’ help us better understand neuropsychiatric  disorders, memory inheritance, various therapies, phobias, and stress disorders

Source: ABC Science