Secrets of the sequence. Pt. 102.

This episode deals with the genetics of aggression and of deafness. The first part of the programme deals with aggression in humans and animals. A Harvard Medical School study of aggression used lobsters for its research and found that aggression is an inborn response and that seartonin is essential in maintaining it. Fruit flies were also studied in connection with the role of seratonin and it remains to be seen how far the information gained in this research can be extrapolated to humans. Continuing the theme of aggression, there is a short biography of the scientist Craig Venter, who is shown to be impatient and ambitious. He attributes his success to his rebellious nature. He raced the US government in the attempt to complete the first draft of the human genome - the result was a tie. He founded the biotechnology company Celera, and has now moved on from this in his continual search for new challenges. In the next section of the programme the deaf parents of hearing children talk about their initial dismay at having children who live in a different culture but they have come to terms with this and parents and children are able to share each other's world. The genetics of different kinds of deafness are explained. The question is raised as to whether deaf parents should be able to use genetic knowledge to select a partner to ensure that any children born to them would be deaf, and looks at the wider issues involved in genetic selection and at the responsibility of scientists.