Guest author Amir Teicher discusses how the concept of “genetic load” traces its roots back to eugenic thinking, as described in his recent Perspectives article in GENETICS.
The possibilities opened up by advances in genome sequencing have recently spurred discussions on the burden, or cost, that mutations pose to organisms and populations. Does the relaxation of selection pressure, especially among humans in modern, industrial society, mean deleterious mutations will keep on cropping up and accumulating, ultimately leading to a catastrophic genetic price that later generations would be forced to pay?
Hermann J Muller—the Nobel laureate who discovered in 1927 that radiation causes mutation—thought so. It was he who introduced the term “genetic load”, in a 1950 paper called Our Load of Mutations. Radiation anxiety following World War II seemed to justify Muller’s concern over the accumulation of mutations in human populations. His ideas were eagerly taken up by geneticists during the following three decades. In reality, however, Muller’s concept did not originate solely from his concerns over the hazards of nuclear energy or the overuse of X-rays in medicine, but had much earlier roots in eugenic thinking.
In fact, the term “genetic load” itself was far from novel. In Germany, discussions on erbliche Belastung—literally, hereditary burden, or load—were common from the late nineteenth century onwards, especially among psychiatrists (Muller spoke fluent German and was acquainted with these discussions). In most cases, the term was used to designate the pathological endowment that the mentally ill transfer to their family members. Practically speaking, anyone with a mentally ill relative was considered, to some degree, ‘hereditarily burdened’.
During the 1920s, studies on these alleged hereditary burdens became statistically more sophisticated, absorbing Mendelian concepts and providing robust proof on the heritability of mental diseases and neurological disorders. After the Nazis seized power, talk of the burden that the mentally ill posed was omnipresent and led to the mass sterilization, and later annihilation, of people with mental and physical disabilities. The ambiguity of the term was found useful: it conveyed simultaneously a hereditary burden, a social, and an economic one.
Muller was a vehement anti-Nazi, but he was also a devoted eugenicist. Using the fear of radiation as a pretext, he introduced into population genetics a concept whose roots lay in eugenic thinking, and whose implications were eugenic, too. This fact was recognized by some of his colleagues (and opponents) at the time. Some not only argued against the mathematical implications of the concept, but also advocated changing the terminology itself, which they saw as impregnated with eugenic connotations.
As recent works on genetic load indicate, not only did the term remain in force; some of its own related assumptions are still with us, too. Discussion of genetic load can easily lead to suggestions for top-down management of reproduction, in the name of future generations, wherein those with lesser genetic value would be politely requested to limit their procreation, for the common good. Awareness of the history of this scientific concept therefore might not be a mere curiosity, but an important reminder for the range of meanings that accompany it – indeed, for the kind of load that it, too, carries along.
Guest posts are contributed by members of our community. The views expressed in guest posts are those of the author(s) and are not necessarily endorsed by the Genetics Society of America. If you'd like to write a guest post, e-mail jtreboschi@genetics-gsa.org.
View all posts by Guest Author »Read more in
-
Early Career Leadership Spotlight: Julio Molina Pineda
We’re taking time to get to know the members of the GSA’s Early Career Scientist Committees. Join us to learn more about our early career scientist advocates. Julio Molina Pineda Policy and Advocacy University of Arkansas Research Interest My research interests focus on using model organisms to genetically dissect complex traits related to human disease. My…
-
Early Career Leadership Spotlight: Peiwei Chen
We’re taking time to get to know the members of the GSA’s Early Career Scientist Committees. Join us to learn more about our early career scientist advocates. Peiwei Chen Accessibility Subcommittee California Institute of Technology Research Interest Far from a harmonious place, the genome is a battleground, where every bit of DNA fights for inheritance and…
-
#Dros23 GSA Poster Award winners
We are pleased to announce the GSA Poster Award winners from the 64th Annual Drosophila Research Conference! Undergraduate and graduate student members of the GSA were eligible for the awards, and a hard-working team of postdocs volunteered their time as judges. Congratulations to all! Undergraduate Students 1st Place: Sofia Karter Lopez, University of Toronto “Rab11 mediates E-cadherin recycling during…
-
Congratulations to the Fall 2022 DeLill Nasser Awardees!
GSA is pleased to announce the recipients of the DeLill Nasser Award for Professional Development in Genetics for Fall 2022! Given twice a year to graduate students and postdoctoral researchers, DeLill Nasser Awards support attendance at meetings and laboratory courses. The award is named in honor of DeLill Nasser, a long-time GSA supporter and National Science Foundation…
-
New editors join GENETICS, G3 editorial boards
Several new editors are joining the GSA Journals. We’re excited to welcome Ricardo Zayas to the GENETICS editorial board under the Molecular Genetics of Development section, and on the G3: Genes|Genomes|Genetics board, we welcome Polly Campbell, Kevin Vogel, Joe Parker, and Ricardo Mallarino. Ricardo Zayas Associate Editor Ricardo Zayas is a Professor of Biology at…
-
Worms and Flies Provide Key Clues to Medical Mystery
This article is part of a series of posts outlining the history and impact of research in experimental organisms. The series is developed in collaboration with the GSA Public Communications and Engagement Committee. By the time Bertrand Might was six months old, it was clear something was amiss. His muscles weren’t developing normally; he was…
-
Congratulations to the 2023 Early Career Leadership Program Cohort!
The Genetics Society of America (GSA) is excited to announce the latest cohort of student, postdoc, and early-career research leaders joining the Early Career Leadership Program. Participants receive training and mentoring while serving on committees charged with understanding the needs, interests, concerns, and challenges of early career scientist members of the GSA. As part of…
-
GSA LOCI: Local Outreach Community Initiatives @ GSA Conferences
Highlights: Local Outreach Community Initiatives (LOCI): The Genetics Society of America is committed to supporting the communities of the host cities of our conferences. This new year, we are excited to reconnect with our GSA community in meaningful ways within and beyond our existing programming. The GSA membership has created a caring and supportive environment…
-
New members of the GSA Board of Directors: 2023–2025
We are pleased to announce the election of five new leaders to the GSA Board of Directors: 2023 Vice President/2024 President Mariana Wolfner Distinguished Professor of Molecular Biology and Genetics and Stephen H. Weiss Presidential Fellow My research has focused on the genes and pathways that mediate sexual development and reproduction, primarily in Drosophila. From…
-
Lance David Miller: Lighting Your Own Fire by Finding the Right Resources
By Daniel J. Gironda In the Paths to Science Policy series, we talk to individuals who have a passion for science policy and are active in advocacy through their various roles and careers. The series aims to inform and guide early career scientists interested in science policy. This series is brought to you by the…
-
Graça Almeida-Porada: The Importance of Communication in a Technologically Advancing World
By Daniel J. Gironda In the Paths to Science Policy series, we talk to individuals who have a passion for science policy and are active in advocacy through their various roles and careers. The series aims to inform and guide early career scientists interested in science policy. This series is brought to you by the…