Dancing DNA: How Music Affects Your Genes
Image Courtesy: List Verse
We often see music as a human creation, but what if life itself composes symphonies? At the turn of the last century, through technological advancement, we began to transcribe our genetic code into melodies, igniting research into whether our genes respond to the sounds we create. This curiosity has led experts to explore how it influences our perception and ability to appreciate musical masterpieces. By examining the relationship between tones and our existence, we may uncover a connection that goes beyond humans, extending to other animals and even the simplest forms of life.
The concept of "sound mapping the genes" emerged with the exploration of the human genome. For centuries, nature has inspired artists, integrating elements like animal sounds into famous compositions such as Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. The idea of translating genetic code into music crystallized in the 1980s, particularly through the work of Japanese-American biologist Susumu Ohno at the Beckman Research Institute in California. He aimed to convert the four nucleotides of DNA into a diatonic scale by assigning two tones to each nucleotide, creating more control over musical compositions. While Ohno's work fascinated some, the scientific community was sceptical about its practical implications for genetics. Despite criticisms, Ohno highlighted the repetitive nature of music and genetics in his research, suggesting that his work, although not groundbreaking in science, opens routes for exploring the link between music and our genetic makeup.
The relationship of music and human DNA is not a story of unreciprocated interest. Not only can we let our coding sequence sing its song, as Ohno demonstrated, but novel evidence has arisen that all kinds of tunes can alter the expression of our genes. Most notable is the SNCA gene coding for the protein alpha-synuclein, which has been shown to upregulate when test subjects from the experiment conducted by the University of Helsinki, Finland, listened to classical music. This particular molecule is, apart from being potentially one of the fundamental accelerators of Parkinson's' disease, also key for regulating the release of the neurotransmitter dopamine, the "feel good hormone". Listening to classical music has also positively affected learning and memory while preventing neurodegenerative diseases, such as dementia. Some of the upregulated genes have also been found to be responsible for singing in songbirds. This points to the presumption that sound perception shares a conserved evolutionary background across species and is not strictly limited to the human population.
It is not just intricate melodies, human musicality also encompasses complex rhythms and polyphonies. Research from the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden suggests that certain genes are linked to musicality. This is especially evident in families with generations of musicians and in twin studies, where music-related behaviours showed a genetic basis ranging from 0 to 86%. The field of music genetics is growing, exploring how both genetic and environmental factors affect musical perception and performance. Specific genetic variants have been identified, such as variations in chromosome 8 linked to absolute pitch and the AVPR1A gene on chromosome 12 associated with music listening and dance. While challenges remain in sample sizes and replicating results, light is starting to shine on our musical genetic predisposition.
Music may be more than just a source of enjoyment; it could be rooted in our DNA. The way you curate your Spotify playlist may reveal aspects of your identity on a molecular level. Melodies have existed alongside humans throughout history, reflecting cultural connections and shaping our lives. From the simplest sounds to potential medical breakthroughs, our bond with music runs deep. Next time you're out and about, take a moment to listen to the birds chirping - their melodies could be timeless reflections of who you are.