Are we who we are–athletic or artistic, quick-tempered or calm, shy or outgoing, energetic or laid back-because of our genetic inheritance or because of our upbringing? This question about the importance of nature vs. nurture, or heredity versus environment, has been asked in one form or another since ancient times. Historically, the nature vs. nurture question was considered an all-or-none proposition. In other words, people argued that personal traits and abilities are influenced entirely by heredity or entirely by environment. Now it is generally considered that both factors are important. It is like the saying, which came first, the chicken or the egg? This makes for many theories. This paper will attempt to discuss the general ways in which both nature and nurture affect human behavior. The author's opinion that nurture is the stronger influence will be proposed by citing its role in human homosexuality.
             Nature states that your behavior is from your genetic inheritance, which shapes your biological makeup. Your biological makeup is intimately related to your behavior (Weiten 106). Most people realize that physical characteristics, such as height, hair color, blood type, and eye color are largely shaped by heredity. Your physical characteristics defiantly have a lot to do with you behavior. Some people who are very tall feel shy because of their height. Others' who are that height feel outgoing because they have a special gift. Genes are DNA segments that serve as the key functional units in hereditary transmission (Weiten 106). Because genes operate in pairs, a child has a fifty percent probability of inheriting a specific gene in a specific gene pair from each parent (Zimbardo 122). This affects behavior.
             Illustrative of this theory are the numerous family studies
             conducted to assess the contribution of heredity to the
             development of schizophrenic disorder...